


Fallen Man

by Jld71



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anal Sex, Blood Drinking, Bottom Dean Winchester, Character Death, Death, Forced Turning, Hiding, Incest, Kidnapping, M/M, Mating, Minor Character Death, Resurrection, Top Sam Winchester, Torture, Vampires, magical spell, vampire mating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:34:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29045454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jld71/pseuds/Jld71
Summary: Dean inadvertently catches the eye of the wrong male who refuses to take no for an answer. Seeing Dean as his mate, Dean is taken and turned against his will. Scared for the lives and safety of the people he loves, especially Sam’s, he disappears, going into hiding in order to protect Sam from the vampire who turned him and from himself. Dean sees Sam as his mate and since vampires mate for life, he refuses to condemn Sam to the same fate; one of drinking blood to exist.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Comments: 16
Kudos: 329





	1. Night Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JJ1564](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJ1564/gifts).



> Written for the 20/21 Dean Winchester Big Bang  
> Beta: rocketmojo  
> Artist: dwimpala67  
> Link to art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29045565

I got the devil on my throat

I got blood on my hands

The ones that I love are in danger

I’m a fallen man

Dean watched as the door to the bar opened and three men and one woman walked in. They stood just inside the door, in the shadows, seemingly surveying the room before a waitress approached them. He could barely hear their exchange over the music pumping from the loudspeaker, but something, maybe it was his intuition, told him to pay attention to the group, if only for a few minutes. “We’re just here for a few drinks…” a tall man stated. “Oh, sure, just sit at any open area…” the waitress responded, waving a hand in the direction of the open booths and tables. “Thanks, darling,” the man said and offered the waitress a wide smile before turning to those he was with and moving off to an empty table. It was at that point Dean turned his attention back to Sam, offering him a smile as his green eyes twinkled with happiness.

The bar wasn’t packed that night; being a Wednesday and right before payday and the weekend, it wouldn’t be. That was why he and Sam had stopped in. They weren’t on a case and had some downtime. It was just a leisurely night of relaxing, having a few beers, maybe shooting a game or two of pool, eating some greasy bar food, and then heading back to their motel room where he hoped Sam would fuck him into the mattress. So far, they had been having a good night, and he wanted that to continue. If everything went well, the next few days would be a repeat of that night before they picked up another case, packed up, and moved on. 

Dean just didn't know what was in store for him. 

The group caught Dean’s attention again as he watched them, all seeming to be within his and Sam’s age, late twenties to early thirties, make their way over to a large table and then turned his attention back to Sam who was asking him if he wanted another beer. “Are you trying to ply me with alcohol so you can have your wicked way with me later when you get me alone in our room?”

“Dean…” Sam started to say with a smirk and then gave a throaty chuckle when he saw Dean wiggling his eyebrows at him. “Maybe I am,” he responded cheekily.

Dean returned the smirk with one of his own and a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Well, in that case… sure, Sam, why not? Dean confirmed and watched as Sam motioned for their waitress. 

Catching her attention, Sam tipped his beer bottle toward her and then raised his other hand, holding two fingers to indicate he wanted to order two more beers. 

The waitress nodded and walked over to the bar to place their order and returned a few minutes later with their new beers. Placing them on the table in front of them, she looked at Sam and then Dean. “Can I get you anything else?” She asked as her eyes rested on Dean, offering him a slight smile.

Seeing how the waitress’ attention was on Dean, Sam felt a spark of possessiveness shoot through his body. Leaning forward just a few inches, but just enough to get Dean’s attention, he said, “Sweetheart, are you hungry? Do you want to order something to eat?”

Dean quirked an eyebrow up at Sam as the corners of his mouth twitched up into the beginning of a smile. He knew what Sam was doing and why. Sam was getting jealous over the attention the waitress was giving him. He had to stop himself from laughing. But he did have to admit, if only to himself, that he enjoyed seeing Sam this way. He felt that familiar spark of possessiveness himself when someone looked at Sam too long. He didn’t know why either of them got that way, they both knew, despite being brothers and that their relationship was taboo, there was no one else for either of them. They had tried being with other people, but that had never worked out, and they had ended up back with each other. They would always end up with each other. They were two halves of the same coin; they were meant for each other. Pushing those thoughts aside, he nodded his head. “Yes, dear, I’d love some nachos,” Dean countered back, meeting Sam’s hazel eyes. Seeing the heated look Sam was giving him, he reached out and placed a hand on Sam’s wrist.

The waitress took a step back when she sensed the possessive undercurrent running between the two men she was waiting on and that she had most likely set it off with her attempt at flirting with the green-eyed man. Casting a glance at Sam, she waited for him to place the order.

Sam glanced at Dean and then casually looked up at the waitress, offering her a dimpled smile, satisfied that he had gotten his point across. Guess we'll have a plate of nachos with extra cheese and salsa,” Sam ordered and then focused his attention back on Dean.

Taking that as the dismissal it was, she gave a curt nod, turned, and walked away, leaving the two men to their beers and each other. 

As soon as the waitress disappeared from their table, Dean gave a throaty chuckle and shook his head. “Jealous much?” he commented. 

“I didn’t like the way she was looking at you,” Sam countered back in a dark tone and then raised his bottle to his lips to take a sip of his beer. He settled back into the booth seat as Dean tightened his grip on his wrist. He looked down as Dean squeezed his wrist and then ran his thumb over the back of his hand; it was Dean’s way of silently assuring him there was nothing for him to worry about. He gave a slight nod to Dean in understanding and acknowledgment and then offered Dean a smile. “So, what do you want to do, eat nachos, and then play some pool?”

“Sure, sounds like a plan,” Dean confirmed as he pulled his hand away from Sam’s warm body. “How about we play a few games and the winner of the most games gets to pick whatever he wants as a prize.” Dean wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and offered Sam a sly smile.

Sam tossed his head back and laughed, his shoulders moving up and down as he laughed at Dean’s attempt at being seductive. “Why? You know you’re just gonna end up riding me when we get back to our room.” 

Hearing Sam’s words, it was Dean’s turn to tilt his head back as he laughed. “So, you think I’m a sure thing?”

Before Sam could answer, their waitress appeared carrying a plate that was overflowing with nachos and two smaller plates. Placing them down in the middle of the table, she focused her attention on Sam. “Can I get you anything else?”

Sam gave her another dimpled smile. “I think we’re good here, for now, thanks.” He waited until the waitress had moved off to wait on another table before answering Dean’s question. “All I have to do is make sure you have a cold beer and the greasy food you like so much and you’re putty in my hands,” he said as he pushed one of the plates at Dean. 

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” Dean acknowledged as he loaded some of the nachos on his plate, picked one up from the pile on his plate, and brought it to his mouth, biting into the crispy warm chip. He hummed around the gooey cheese mixed with the spiciness of the salsa and the salt from the chip in his mouth. “Sam, you gotta…” Dean crunched the chip in his mouth as he spoke, “try this… So good.”

Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes. “God, Dean! Chew and swallow, then talk. You’re such a heathen when it comes to your manners,” Sam uttered, affection flooding his voice as he spoke. He was used to the way Dean was; how the older man acted more like a kid at times. He prodded at Dean to use manners while out in public, but at times, like now, it was a lost cause. There was never any real heat behind his words. How could there be when he loved Dean unconditionally. Dean saw his flaws and accepted him as he was, how could he not do the same for him? He knew Dean had been robbed of a childhood; had been forced at the age of four to raise him when their mother had been killed by a demon and his father had placed him, at the age of six months old, into Dean’s tiny arms. Their close bond, too close as some had surmised, had started at that moment. But there was no going back now, not for either of them. He’d be lost without Dean, and deep down, he knew it was the same for Dean. One way or another, they were always going to end up with each other. They were like magnets, no matter how hard you tried to pull them apart, they always clinked back together. If it was acceptable, he’d crow from the rooftop that he had the love of his life, his soulmate with him. He’d marry his brother if he could if Dean wanted that, but he’d take what they had; life on the road, just the two of them, and be happy. 

“What?” Dean asked as he looked up from the chip he was about to shove into his mouth. 

“Never mind,” Sam sighed and reached for the chip, plucking it out of Dean’s hold, and shoved it into his mouth as Dean protested that he had been robbed.

“Get your own damn chip!” Dean grumped, narrowing his eyes at Sam as if Sam had just stolen more than just a chip from him. 

“I just did,” Sam stated after he had finished chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth. “See, that’s how an adult acts. You wait until you’ve finished swallowing what’s in your mouth before speaking.” He pointed to his mouth to emphasize his point. 

“Whatever,” Dean responded with a smirk. “Never complained before when I was swallowing you down,” he teased and licked his lips in an attempt to entice Sam. His action was met with a throaty chuckle from Sam, causing him to respond in kind. “So, are we gonna play pool or what?” 

“Sure, best two outta three. Winner names his prize like you said,” Sam confirmed as he slid out of the booth, followed closely by Dean as he made his way over to the empty pool table. The rest of the night they were lost in each other, playing pool, drinking their beers, and finishing off the plate of nachos that Dean refused to give up until the plate was empty. 

“I won!” Dean crowed as they finished their last game of pool.

Sam shook his head. “Because I let you,” he taunted. Dean was the better pool player, having hustled at it in the past to try to provide for them when their cash had run out and their now-deceased father wasn’t around. 

“Yeah, right. You just keep telling yourself that big guy,” Dean chuckled.

“Well, while I hit the head, you can settle our tab and think of what you want in the way of your prize,” Sam offered with a sly smile, knowing most likely what Dean would want as his prize, as he turned and walked in the direction of the men’s room. “I still won!” he heard Dean call out as he pushed the door to the men’s room open and disappeared inside. 

As Sam walked into the bathroom, Den turned and headed over to the bar in search of their waitress so he could pay for their beers and food. After paying and leaving her a nice tip, he turned and started to make his way back to their booth, but was stopped by the man he had seen enter the bar earlier with a small group of people; three others in total if he remembered correctly. 

“I’m Jason,” the stranger said as he approached Dean, offering his hand. “I’d like to buy you a drink if you’ll let me.”

“Dude, I’m really flattered, but I’m here with someone. And, we’re together,” Dean said, offering the man an apologetic smile. He looked the man up and down, noting that the man was an inch or so taller than himself, but bulkier muscle-wise than Sam. The man looked like he was a weightlifter or at least someone who spent a lot of time in the gym judging by the way his t-shirt pulled across his chest and his muscles flexed in his arm as they shook hands. Letting go of the man’s hand, he took that moment to study his face. The man’s skin was pale, like his but without the freckles that dotted his own skin. He had dark brown eyes and jet black hair with streaks of silver running through it, yet his skin appeared wrinkle-free aside from a few laugh lines around the corners of his eyes. He had to admit the man was good looking, but he wasn’t who he was interested in. That was Sam, only Sam. Sam had his heart, his body, and his soul. There was no one else for him, and there never would be.

“Still, that wasn’t a no to the drink,” Jason tried again, stepping closer to Dean. “And, I’d really like to know your name. We can get to know each other. Who knows, maybe I’m a better fit for you than this other person you’re with.” 

Before Dean could answer, he heard Sam calling his name. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam, offering him a smile to reassure him that there was nothing for him to be concerned about before turning back to look at Jason.

“Dean, are you ready?” Sam called out, looking around the bar as he walked back from the bathroom to their table. He stopped mid-step when he saw Dean talking to some guy. Seeing how the stranger was eyeing Dean like he was ready to devour him, he fought back the urge to storm over there, grab Dean by the arm and drag him away. As much as he wanted to display his dominance, he knew Dean wouldn’t appreciate it. Staking his claim to Dean with the waitress was one thing, but not with some guy that could lead to a potential fight. He just had to bide his time and see what happened, not that he thought Dean would take off with the stranger. He just wanted to know what the guy would do when Dean shot him down. He watched as Dean glanced over his shoulder at him and offered him a reassuring smile, setting him more at ease, before turning his attention back to the stranger. 

“Dean,” Jason repeated and then smiled at Dean, his eyes raking over the green-eyed man standing in front of him. “So, is that the guy you’re with?”

“Yeah, he’s the one. Sorry, but I don’t think there’s anyone else for me but him,” Dean said as he turned and walked away from Jason, joining Sam as Sam grabbed their jackets and nudged Dean out of the bar and toward the Impala. 

“Who was that?” Sam hissed out.

Dean shrugged his shoulders. “Some guy. He offered to buy me a drink,” Dean told Sam nonchalantly, and then instantly regretted saying anything to Sam when he saw Sam tense and curl his hands into fists. 

“Dean…” Sam in a low voice.

“Nothing to worry about, Sam. I told him thanks, but no thanks and that I was with someone.” Dean was about to say more, ready to ease the tension between them when he felt the impact of Sam’s full body weight on him, pinning him to the side of the Impala. “Sam,” he breathed out, and then Sam was crushing their lips together in a heated kiss. “Possessive bastard,” he managed to pant out when the kiss ended. They were both breathing heavily as they pulled away from each other and he could feel Sam’s hardness against his thigh, matching his own as he looked up into Sam’s eyes. Seeing how dark they were, even in the limited moonlight, he licked his lips tasting Sam on them and had to stop himself from reaching up and dragging Sam down for another repeat of their last kiss. He knew if he did, there was no way they’d make it out of the parking lot, and he wasn’t about to put on a show for anyone but Sam in the privacy of their motel room. 

“Yeah, because you’re mine, and I intend to remind you of that,” Sam confirmed as he leaned in to whisper into Dean’s ear. “When I’m fucking that tight ass of yours, I’m gonna mark you up, make sure that everyone knows you’re mine and off-limits.” He nipped at Dean’s earlobe and heard Dean’s breath hitch in his throat. With a smile, he placed a soft kiss to the skin right behind Dean’s ear and then pulled away from Dean. “We need to go.” His words were met with a soft grunt from Dean and a confirming nod from him. He took a step back, letting Dean go so they could get into the Impala and make the short drive back to their room.

“Get in the car,” Dean grunted as he swung his door open and slid behind the steering wheel of Impala, closing the door and starting the engine as Sam joined him. Checking the rearview mirror, Dean backed out of the parking space and then threw the car into drive, pulled out of the parking lot, giving the car more gas than was needed to get them to their destination. He was already hard and aching by the time he got them back to the motel. 


	2. Need

Sam kicked the door to their motel room closed, pausing only long enough to make sure it was locked before he grabbed Dean around the waist, dragging him back to him and turning Dean around so they were both facing each other. He saw the want he felt for Dean reflected in Dean’s eyes for him. Sliding his fingers up and under Dean’s t-shirt, he made quick work of getting Dean out of his clothes and then himself out of his own and onto the bed. 

It was always a thrill to see Sam naked; the toned muscles of his body rippling under his skin, his powerful chest, his washboard abs, well-developed arms that held him against Sam’s body or down on the bed, and his muscular legs. When he compared himself to Sam, he wasn’t as cut as Sam, but he was toned and felt no shame for his own body when he was standing next to Sam. 

Sam settled himself on the bed, his head propped up with two pillows as he watched Dean close the distance between them to join him on the bed. He felt the bed dip from Dean’s added body weight and reached out to him, cupping the back of Dean’s neck and pulling him in for a heated kiss. 

“Wanna watch you get yourself ready for me,” Sam said in a husky tone once they pulled away from each other. “Love watching you open yourself up to take me. So fucking beautiful.” He watched as Dean flushed with embarrassment. That was another thing he loved to see; Dean’s pale and freckled skin pink up from his words. He loved to watch as the tips of Dean’s ears darken in color followed by his cheeks, neck, and chest, making his nipples stand out as inviting targets for his mouth or fingers. “Straddle me,” he instructed and watched as Dean shuffled on his knees until Dean threw one leg over his thighs and adjusted himself so his thighs were resting on either side of his hips before lifting himself up. He placed one hand on the bed next to Sam’s shoulder and slid his hand under the pillows searching for the bottle of lube they had stashed there earlier before they had gone out to the bar. “Gonna put on a show for me? Get me all hot and bothered for you?”

“Yeah,” Dean breathed out as his green eyes met Sam’s. He saw the heat and arousal in Sam’s eyes, how lust-blown they were, and knew they matched his own. He uncapped the bottle of lube and poured a generous amount onto the fingers of his right hand before letting the bottle fall onto the bed next to his knee. Not taking his eyes off Sam, he lifted up onto his knees and snaked his arm around his back, reaching between the globes of his ass to circle his slick fingers around his rim. He gasped and reached out, his left hand hitting the headboard, trying to steady himself as he worked his fingers into himself. He let his head fall back, closed his eyes, and bit down on his bottom lip as he took three of his fingers. 

Sam could feel Dean’s thighs quivering as he readied himself. He reached up with both hands, his thumbs rubbing over Dean’s nipples bringing them to hard nubs. He heard Dean’s soft whimper from the friction of his thumbs rubbing over his already sensitive nipples. “So fucking hot like this. Taking your own fingers. Think you’re ready for me?” He licked his lips in anticipation; he didn’t think he would be able to wait much longer if Dean said no to him. 

“Yeah… need you,” Dean panted out. Pulling his fingers free from his body, he blindly searched for the lube, grabbed it, and squeezed more into the palm of his right hand. He took Sam’s hard cock in hand and stroked it, slicking it with the lube, and then guided it to his hole. He moaned as the head of Sam’s cock nudged at his furled hole. “Sam,” he called out as the head popped through the ring of his tight muscle. He let gravity do its job, sinking on Sam’s cock, until he had taken all of him. He felt so full like Sam was carving a place just for himself inside his body. No matter how many times or how many ways Sam took him, it always felt like Sam was going to split him open, but only in the best way possible. 

“Dean,” Sam whispered reverently when he was fully sheathed inside Dean’s tight channel. It never ceased to amaze him that Dean was able to handle taking all of him. “You feel so good,” he murmured, giving Dean time to adjust to being breached before he slowly bucked his hips. When he heard Dean calling out his name, telling him to move, he placed his hands on Dean’s hips and lifted him up only to let him go as Dean slid back down on him. 

“Sam…” Dean moaned out as he threw his head back, letting his eyes slip closed as Sam grabbed onto his hips and raised him up only to slam him back down on his cock. He reached out, the palms of his hands slapping against the headboard to use as support as Sam fucked up into him. “Fuck, Sam.” Determined to make Sam come, his movements became frantic, pulling himself up only to slam back down. 

Reaching up, Sam dragged Dean down, stopping the frenetic movements of Dean’s body, crushing their lips together as he rolled them, getting Dean onto his back. He dropped one hand down to run it along Dean’s thigh, letting him know he wanted Dean to hook his legs around his waist, anchoring their bodies to each other. 

Knowing what Sam wanted, Dean drew his legs up and hooked them around Sam’s waist and then reached up to latch his hands to Sam’s shoulders, digging his fingers into the meat of his muscles. His chest was heaving as he gulped for air. “Sam, please…” Whatever else he was about to say was lost when Sam silenced him with another kiss. 

Dean felt Sam’s lips trail kisses along his neck, his breath ghosting over his skin before Sam’s lips latched onto the skin between his jaw and left ear, sucking at it until Sam had left his mark. “Possessive,” he whispered when Sam had pulled back.

“Told you I was gonna mark you up.” Sam licked at the abused skin before placing a gentle kiss at the same area. “Fuck, I’d tattoo ‘Property of Sam Winchester’ across your ass if you’d let me. You’re mine,” Sam said and then crashed their lips together again, needing to drive home what he had just said.

Dean felt his arousal spike at hearing Sam’s words. “Only if you let me do the same. Let me put my name on you,” he panted out when their kiss ended.

“I’d let you. I’d put a ring on that finger of yours, too,” Sam whispered into Dean’s ear. 

“Sam… Love you… I’d let you,” Dean whispered and then buried his face in the crook of Sam’s neck as Sam began to languidly rock into him. He gave up his control to Sam, letting Sam set the pace as they made love. He felt that familiar tingle at the base of his spine as his orgasm began to build. He bucked his hips up trying to get the friction he needed to tip him over the edge.

Sensing what Dean wanted, what Dean needed, Sam grabbed Dean’s hands, forced them down on either side of his head as he began to thrust harder into Dean. He heard Dean calling his name, heard Dean’s chorus of “ugh, ugh, ugh,” and his moans, and knew Dean was close to coming. He slammed into Dean, making sure to hit Dean’s prostate, sending them both over the edge as their orgasms ripped through their bodies. He continued to rock his hips as he worked them through their joined orgasm, and kissing along Dean’s neck until Dean relaxed underneath him. 

Sated and happy, Dean closed his eyes, letting his body go lax as he came down from his postorgasmic high. He felt Sam trailing kisses along his collarbone and then he whined at the feeling the loss of Sam’s body on top of his. He felt movement as Sam settled next to him on the bed and then Sam’s arm was encircling his waist, pulling him so he was flush with Sam’s muscular body. 

Sam rolled over, reached out, and dragged Dean to him, curling his body protectively around Dean as they lay together in the darkened motel room. He felt Dean move, felt Dean’s arm rest against his, and then Dean’s fingers were entwining with his. He kissed over the mark he had left on Dean’s body, humming in satisfaction at the knowledge that he had fulfilled his words; he had marked Dean as his. “Love you,” he murmured against Dean’s warm skin. “I meant everything I said.”

Dean gave a contented sigh and squeezed Sam’s hand. “I love you, too. And so did I. But no matter what, no matter what happens, I’m yours. Always have been, and always will be.” Satisfied with his declaration of love for Sam and hearing that Sam felt the same way, Dean drifted off to sleep wrapped up in Sam’s arms and the sheets tangled around their joined bodies. 


	3. Feeding

Jason stood in the shadow of the building watching as Dean walked to a sleek, black muscle car followed closely by the taller man he had been with. He snarled at the sight before him as Dean was pushed up against the car by the man. Whoever this man was, was touching what he wanted. He heard movement behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see those he had been sitting with standing behind him, watching what he was watching; Dean and the man getting into the car and driving off. 

“Jason?” a female voice questioned in a whisper carried by the wind. 

Only he and those like him were meant to hear her voice. He turned to the brunette standing at his elbow and offered her a smile, one showing two rows of vampiric teeth. “Dean’s mine, he just doesn’t know it yet,” he assured her and the rest standing beside her. “I have found my mate.”

A cold smile crossed the woman’s lips. “This is cause for celebration,” she said and nodded to a couple leaving the bar. 

“You’re quite right, Madison,” Jason confirmed before breaking away from the rest and striding over to the man and woman standing by a car. “I’ve found the one I want to turn and mate with. We should definitely celebrate.”

Madison placed a hand on Jason’s arm, drawing his attention away from the couple for a moment. “They look delicious, don't they?” she remarked.

“They do,” Jason said with a nod of his head. “And, since there’s two of them, there should be just enough blood for us to share. Tonight we feast. Drain them dry.” He stepped out of the shadows, quietly approaching the couple. “Good evening,” he said in a low voice when he stopped in front of the man and woman who had been about to get into their vehicle. 

“Hi,” the woman greeted.

“I was wondering if you could possibly do me a small favor,” Jason said with a smile and a tilt of his head, trying to appear non-threatening.

The man moved, coming to stand in front of the woman as if to protect her. “That depends on what it is. If you’re looking for money, sorry pal, but you're out of luck,” the man said.

Jason offered the couple a cold smile. “No, nothing like that. I don’t need or want your money,” he said with a dark chuckle. 

“Then… then what do you want?” the man asked nervously.

“We’re hungry,” Jason said as he inclined his head toward the others he was with. 

“You’re hungry?” the woman questioned and started to rummage through her purse looking for money. 

Seeing what she was attempting to do, Jason raised his hands and waved them at her stopping her. “No, I told you, I don’t want your money.” He saw the questioning look on her face and stepped closer to the couple, caging them against their car as the other three joined him. 

“I don’t… I don’t understand,” the woman uttered in confusion, her voice laced with fear as she looked at the four people now standing before them blocking them from moving. “You said you’re hungry…”

“Yes, but not for food. Not for what money can buy,” Jason said.

“What… what do you want?” the man inquired. Looking at the woman he was with, seeing how fearful she was, he looked up to meet Jason’s dark eyes. “I think you need to leave us alone. There’s nothing we can do for you.”

“You’re so wrong,” Jason countered back. “You can feed us, just not with human food.”

“Human food?” the man mimicked. 

“You humans are so pathetic. Let me spell it out for you. We’re hungry and what we want is your blood.” Jason licked his lips and then shot his arm out, grabbing the man by the throat, pulling him away from the woman, and shoving him toward another behind him. He heard the man trying to struggle to get free, but kept his attention on the terrified woman standing in front of him. 

The woman opened her mouth to scream, but didn’t have a chance when Jason advanced on her, covering her mouth with his hand as he sunk his teeth into her neck. He drank just enough of her blood to make her pliable before stopping and shoving her at the others. Licking his lips clean of her blood he looked at the others. “We need to table this; get them into their car and finish feeding in private.”

Madison looked up from the man she had been feeding on. Wiping the blood dripping from her chin she nodded her head. “Yes, you’re right.” Snapping her fingers, she got the attention of the other two feeding from the couple, stopping them from drinking any more of their blood. “You heard Jason. Stop your feeding. Get his keys and get them into their car,” she ordered as she stood and joined Jason, watching as the other two from their nest did as they had been instructed. 

Within a few minutes, the couple had been deposited into the backseat of their car as Jason slid behind the steering wheel of his own car with Madison in the passenger seat. He started the car and rolled down the window. “You two are to follow us back to the nest,” he said and pulled out of his parking space followed by the car containing the couple and the others from his nest. 

“We should be back at the nest soon. We can fill ourselves with their blood and then dispose of the bodies after we’ve drained them.” Madison turned to look at Jason. “The one you chose as your mate, he was with someone,” she commented, waiting for Jason to respond.

“It’s of no concern. The man doesn’t matter. Dean, his name is Dean and once he’s turned, he’ll realize that I’m his mate and the other one is no concern of his. Dean will be happy to know he has been chosen and how special he is. He will want for nothing and he will be revered as my mate,” Jason stated. 

“He smelled of death,” Madison announced. “Perhaps he has killed in some fashion before. Either way, I think he’s an excellent choice for you. He is quite striking.”

“That he is. Those green eyes…” Jason hummed in contemplation. “They are the color of the greenest grass I’ve ever seen. And despite the darkness of the bar they seemed to sparkle like emeralds. And his pale, freckled skin… I can’t wait to sink my teeth into his neck. Can’t wait to hear the sounds he makes…”

Madison gave a soft laugh. “You’re smitten with him.” She clapped her hands together. “I’m so happy for you.” 

“Yes, he’s perfect for me.”

A day later, Jason and his nest had finished with the couple, draining every drop of blood from their bodies. Knowing there were hunters out looking to kill vampires, they did their best to cover their tracks by disposing of the couple and their car by submerging them in a lake. He knew that in time the couple would be reported missing and an investigation would be started, looking into their disappearance and possible whereabouts. He was confident that no one had seen him or his companions with the couple they had taken and fed from. When he closed his eyes he could still hear the woman’s whimpers and her husband’s pleas to spare her, to let her go and keep him. He had assured the man that he would ensure their deaths would be painless, they were vampires, but they weren’t monsters after all. That had garnered laughs from his companions and whimpers and screams from the couple. And he had been true to his words, he had made sure their deaths were painless, knowing they wouldn’t feel much as their bodies shut down from the lack of blood pumping through their organs.


	4. Being Watched

Two days later, Sam and Dean were back at the same bar. This time, the place was packed, but they had managed to find a small table for two in the back. It seemed to suit them more, offering them more privacy as Sam leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Dean’s lips. He rested his right hand on Dean’s left thigh, feeling Dean shift closer to him so there was no space between their bodies. Without a word, he brought his left hand up, curled his fingers around Dean’s neck, and pulled him in for another kiss; this kiss began to ignite their desire for each other until Dean suddenly pulled away, leaving Sam to give him a questioning look as he cocked his head to the side. “Dean?” he questioned. He knew Dean wasn’t always one for public displays of affection, but usually, Dean muttered some off-hand remark to him - “Not here, too many eyes”, or “Save it for later when we’re alone”. But this time it was different. Dean seemed to be looking at something, or for someone. Sitting up straighter in his chair, Sam pulled away from Dean. “Dean, what is it?” 

Feeling as if eyes were on him, watching him, Dean looked around the bar, his eyes resting on the man from the other night. He gave a perplexed look at the man trying to remember his name. The guy had introduced himself, that much he recalled, offered to buy him a drink. James? Justin? Jason, the guy’s name was Jason. The feeling of being watched had him pulling away from Sam and looking for the source of what was making him uncomfortable. When his eyes met Jason’s eyes, he felt the hairs on the back of his next stand on end. There was something off with the guy and he was sure the man had been watching him and Sam. The guy was definitely watching him right now. He heard Sam calling his name, but he couldn’t stop looking at the guy. Finally, when Sam placed his hand on his shoulder and shook him, he broke eye contact with the guy and turned to look at Sam. “Sam, that guy’s here again,” Dean said as he jutted his chin in the direction of where the guy was sitting. 

Sam turned and glanced over his shoulder to see who Dean was talking about. He noticed the man from the other night and he instantly shifted, tensing as he made eye contact with him from across the room. He was about to get up, ready to tell the guy to stop staring when he felt Dean’s hand on his arm. He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then let it out. He could hear Dean faintly speaking to him, but the sound of Dean’s voice was being eclipsed by the sound of his rushing blood in his ears. There was something about the guy that set him on edge. The way he was blatantly staring at Dean like he wanted Dean was rubbing him the wrong way. Dean had told the guy the other night that he was already with someone, so why hadn’t the guy taken the hint? He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips together as he looked at the guy, not turning away until he felt Dean’s hand on him.

“Sam, let it go,” Dean said softly trying to break the tension. He could tell by Sam’s body language that Sam was ready to get up, march over to the guy and stake his claim; letting the stranger and everyone else in the bar know that they were together. The last thing he needed or wanted was for them to get into a bar fight, or draw attention to themselves. That wasn’t the smartest move when you were a hunter; hunters were supposed to blend into the background, go unnoticed. “He’s just some creep, and he definitely is not worth getting into a pissing contest.” He had hoped that Sam would have turned back to him by now, but he hadn’t. “Hey, are you even paying attention to me?” he asked and gave a firm squeeze to Sam’s arm to get his attention.

“What?” Sam asked as he slowly turned to Dean pulling his attention off the stranger and focusing it on Dean. 

“I said, he’s not worth it. You wanna know why?” Dean didn’t give Sam time to answer him. “Because I’m with you. I’m not going anywhere, and I don’t want anyone else. He’s just some loser.” He reached up, grabbed Sam by his shirt collar, and dragged him down so he could crush their lips together in a searing kiss. The need for the kiss was two-fold; he needed to send a message to Jason letting him know he was definitely off-limits, and he needed to calm Sam down before Sam did something they’d both regret. He felt Sam relax into his touch and return the kiss, deepening it until they broke apart panting for air. “I love you,” he murmured against Sam’s lips before pulling away to see the wide, dimpled smile on Sam’s face.

“Love you, too,” Sam confirmed as he sat back with a happy smile on his face. He had needed to hear Dean’s declaration of love. Not that he doubted Dean’s love for him, but just hearing Dean say those words had been a balm to his frayed nerves. “So, do you want to shoot some pool?”

Dean glanced over Sam’s shoulder to see that Jason was still staring intently at him. He frowned at seeing that and then turned his attention back to Sam. Whoever the man was, or whatever his issue was, that was on him, decided as he offered Sam a lopsided grin. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s play some pool,” he announced as he stood, waiting for Sam to join him. He cast a glance over to Jason again, hoping that he had gotten the message that he had been sending. To his relief, Jason was no longer watching him. Jason seemed to be in a deep conversation with the woman he was sitting with and no longer paying attention to him. It gave him hope that the rest of the night neither he nor Sam would be worrying about Jason. “We doing this, or what?” he called out to Sam as he turned and walked away from their table and toward the pool table currently not in use. He was joined a few moments later by Sam, losing himself in the game and Sam, not giving another thought to Jason or if the man was watching him. 

Jason watched Dean interact with the man he was with. He was seething with anger, fighting back the desire to stalk over to Dean and pull him away from the man who was touching what was his. He wanted to break the taller man in two, but he forced himself not to. For one thing, he doubted that was the way to win Dean over. For the second thing, he’d end up exposing himself and those he was with for what they really were, and he didn’t need that. He gripped the edge of the table with both hands, leaving gouges in the tabletop as he fought against the impulse to rip the taller man apart. Feeling a firm hand on his arm, he dragged his eyes off of Dean, turning to his companion, he looked at Madison. 

Sensing Jason’s souring mood, Madison knew she had to distract him from the one he saw as his mate. She did the only thing she could do, engage him in conversation. “The tall one, he’s going to be a problem.” Madison leaned into Jason, their bodies touching as she spoke. “He’s a threat to you and your mating. You’re going to have to eliminate him.”

“Perhaps, or perhaps not. Time will tell. I think with the right persuasion, Dean will see reason. If not, then we will drain the tall one's blood, drink him dry in front of Dean so he knows who he belongs to and what the consequences of going against me are,” Jason stated matter-of-factly. He wasn’t about to let Dean go. He didn’t care that Dean was here with some other guy. He didn’t care that Dean had told him that he was with someone else. Dean was his, he was sure of it, and he would not be denied what was his. In time, Dean would understand his place; that Dean was his mate, and once he had been turned, Dean would fall in line. 

Jason turned his attention away from Madison and his other companions in order to keep an eye on Dean. He watched as Dean played several games of pool and drank at least two bottles of beer before calling it a night. Getting up, he followed Dean and the taller man, Sam, as he discovered after hearing Dean call out his name, out of the bar. Sliding behind the wheel of the car one of his companions had happened upon in the last town they had passed through, he followed Dean and Sam at a safe distance as they drove the sleek black muscle car down the dark highway leading to the edge of town. At first, he had worried that they were leaving town which would have forced him to act rashly but relaxed when he watched the car turn into the parking lot of the town’s motel. Pulling into a parking space, he sat, letting the car idle, watching as Dean got out of the car, followed closely by Sam, and disappeared into one of the rooms. He made note of their room number, twenty-one, before driving back to the bar to collect his companions to retire for the night. 

When Jason returned to the bar, he found Madison, Rhett, and Tyler waiting for him at their table. As he reclaimed his chair from earlier, he met Madison’s eye, offering her a sly smile as he did.

“Well, someone’s in a better mood. You found something out. Do tell,” she coaxed as she leaned in to run her fingers over the back of Jason’s hand. 

“They’re staying at the motel. It shouldn’t be too difficult to separate them. I just need a moment or two alone with Dean, and he will be mine.”

Madison offered Jason a bright smile. “See, everything will work out. You’ve found your mate and soon you’ll turn him and bring him into the fold.” 

“Yes, and now I think it’s time for us to retire for the night. Tomorrow is the day I claim my mate.”

“Should we pick up a snack or two on the way home?” Madison inquired as she watched two very tipsy women walk past their table on their way to the door.

“Yes, I think a snack will do us nicely. And it will be nice to have a refreshment to offer my mate when he turns,” Jason responded with a smile, showing just the hint of his elongated canines. Rising from his chair, he followed the two women out into the parking lot. “Ladies, can I be of some assistance?” he asked, catching and steadying one of the women as she stumbled and nearly fell.

“Thank you.” The one Jason was holding onto giggled and then swayed in his arms. 

“Seems to me that you ladies might not be in the best shape to drive. My friends and I are more than willing to help you out.” Jason flashed the women a bright smile as Madison, Rhett and Tyler joined him.

“Yes, we wouldn’t want such beautiful women to fall victim to driving while intoxicated,” Rhett commented as he reached out to steady the second woman, only to hear her giggle in response. 

“No, that would be a shame,” Tyler confirmed as he helped Rhett walk the woman over to her car. Taking the keys from her unsteady hand, he opened the door, holding it for her as she climbed into the back. She was joined by her friend as Jason walked her to the car. 

“You two help these lovely ladies out and we’ll follow to make sure everyone gets there safely,” Jason offered with a nod to those in the car. He heard one of the women muttering how nice it was to be able to rely on the kindness of strangers and smiled. “If they only knew,” he said as he offered Madison his arm, escorting her to their car so they were able to follow Rhett and Tyler who were in charge of delivering the women to their nest for safekeeping. He wanted them relatively healthy and in good condition when he presented them to Dean for his first time feeding on a human. 


	5. Research

Late Saturday morning Dean sat across from Sam in the diner, stirring his coffee as Sam read through the local paper. Wanting Sam’s attention, he reached up, gripped the top of the newspaper, and pulled it down so he was able to see Sam’s face. “What’s got your attention? Because it’s not me.”

Sam looked up, annoyance clearly on his face as he met Dean’s grin. “There have been a few disappearances in the area.”

“Yeah, and so what? People go missing all the time. Some because they want to.”

“Yeah, but not established people. Not people with jobs, homes, and friends,” Sam countered as he pulled the paper from Dean’s hand. “It’s just too coincidental for my liking.”

“So what do you want to do about it? You want to investigate don’t you?” Dean saw the look of quiet determination on Sam’s face and groaned. “Come on, Sammy. Not everything’s a case for us to investigate. Sometimes people just pick up and run away. It’s not the first time someone has decided to do that, and it doesn’t mean we have a case,” he said, trying to persuade Sam to let go of the idea of wanting to investigate the disappearances. 

Sam huffed at Dean as his irritation rose. “Dean…” he started and watched as Dean leaned back in the booth crossing his arms over his chest. Maybe Dean was right, but something was telling him he needed to dig a little deeper into things. “Look, I’ll make a deal with you,” he said suggestively. 

Dean sat up straighter in the booth giving Sam his full attention. “Okay, you have my attention. I’m listening, what’s this deal?”

“You drop me off at the library, let me do a little digging into the history of the town and the people who’ve gone missing. Then, when you pick me up, I’ll let you pick the place we eat tonight, and I’ll let you ride my cock.” He offered Dean a sly, dimpled grin and watched as Dean sat across from him thinking through his offer. 

“So, if I wanted to eat at the greasiest place in town, have a burger dripping with grease and cheese with fries and a beer, you’d let me? And then you’d also let me ride you tonight?” Dean watched as Sam nodded his head in agreement and he felt his cock twitch with interest. “Sounds like a win-win to me. How can I possibly say no to a few of my favorite things?” He ran his tongue over his lips, licking them, knowing how that seemingly innocent little act got to Sam. “Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal. We’ll finish up here and then I’ll drop you off at the library. 

Sam saw the twinkle in Dean’s green eyes. It was always so easy to convince Dean to give in to him if he offered Dean what he liked; food and sex. He especially enjoyed the sight of Dean on top of him, riding him; Dean’s body undulating, the smooth way he would rise and fall, taking his cock in that tight ass of his. Just the thought of that had all his blood rushing south. He needed to think of something other than the thought of Dean’s naked body on his if he was going to finish eating and walk out of the diner without calling attention to himself. To achieve that, he thought about the missing people and the possible reasons as to why they had gone missing. Where their reasons for their disappearances really so easy to explain away as them deciding to give everything up and run away as Dean had suggested. Or, were their disappearances tied to something sinister in nature; something that he and Dean hunted for a living? He wanted to believe that Dean was right, but there was something in the back of his mind telling him that something or someone had a hand in the disappearances. Once he was able to prove it, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dean would be the one leading the charge against whatever supernatural being or beings that had to take out. 

Pushing his plate away from himself, Dean looked up at Sam. “Are you done eating?” he questioned as he balled up his napkin, letting it fall onto his discarded plate. 

Eyeing his nearly empty plate Sam nodded his head. “Yeah, guess I am. Guess we should pay and get going.” He slid out of the booth, followed by Dean as he walked over to the register to pay and then followed Dean out to the Impala. “Come on geek boy, get in and I’ll drop you off at the library.” He gave Sam a cheeky grin. “Wait, does this town even have a library?”

“Yes, it’s on the other side of town,” Sam responded with a roll of his eyes.

“Why do you even know this shit?” Dean held up his hand, shaking his head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” With a heavy sigh, he slid behind the wheel, waiting for Sam to get in. When Sam closed his door, Dean started the car and pulled out of the parking space, following Sam’s direction to the library. 

Dean pulled the Impala up to the curb, letting the car idle for a moment as they sat in front of the small one-story stone building before he cut the engine and turned to Sam. “Okay Brainiac, you go do your thing.” He winked at Sam which made Sam chuckle and roll his eyes at him. Which caused him to grin back at Sam. “Go, those books and old newspapers and whatever aren’t gonna read themselves,” he said as he pointed at the building. 

Sam glanced at the library and then back at Dean. “You know, you can come with me.”

“Nah, the research… The books, that’s your thing. Always has been.” Dean gave a shake of his head. Dean would readily admit that out of the two of them Sam was the brains in their little dynamic while he was the brawn. He never tried to kid himself on that. 

“You’re just as good at research as I am.” Sam scooted closer to Dean, placing his hand on Dean’s thigh. “And maybe, if you’re good, I’ll do something naughty to you in the back of the library. We can hide amongst the books, use them as cover while I blow you or jack you off.” Sam offered Dean a sly smile as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down to emphasize his words. 

Dean tossed his head back and laughed. “So now you want to be the bad boy? We’ll get kicked out before you’re able to finish what you started, or worse, arrested. If I’m gonna be wearing handcuffs, it’s only because you cuffed me to the bed.” He dropped his hand down to rest on Sam’s larger one. “Thanks for the very tempting offer, but you go. The sooner you get this research done and find the information you’re looking for, you can make good on your promises from earlier.” He licked his lips and then smirked at Sam. “You remember those right? My pick of where we eat and then me riding your cock?” 

Sam huffed and pursed his lips together. “When did you become such a prude? You’re really going to pass up a possible blowjob or a handjob?”

“Not passing it up, just tabling the offer for later when we’re in the privacy of our room.”

“Fine. I guess you’re right,” Sam said as he leaned in and planted a quick peck on Dean’s cheek before grabbing his messenger bag containing his laptop and shouldering open the door. “I’ll call you when I’m ready to be picked up.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Dean called out as Sam closed the door and walked up the stone walkway leading to the front door of the library. He watched as Sam held the door open for a woman pushing a stroller who was leaving the building before disappearing inside before starting the car and driving off in the direction of the motel. 

Once in their room, Dean stripped off his boots and crawled into bed. Since he had some alone time, he wanted to take a little cat nap. He didn’t always get to do that and just lying in bed with nothing to do, nothing to worry about for a change was refreshing. He’d take a nap and be ready to go when Sam called him. They’d have another date night where he got to pick the place they ate at and then when they got back to the room, he’d make good on Sam’s promise. He let himself think about how he’d work himself open, putting on a show for Sam, knowing how it aroused Sam to watch him. How he’d climb on top of Sam. How he’d straddle Sam’s pelvis. How he’d take hold of Sam’s cock, guiding Sam into his body. How he’d slowly sink down on Sam’s cock until Sam was fully sheathed in his ass and they were one with each other. He gave a sigh of contentment as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, waking two hours later where he showered and then waited for Sam’s call letting him know that Sam had finished with his research and he wanted to be picked up from the library. 


	6. Taken

“Yeah Sam, I’m on my way. I’m just leaving the room now and I’ll be there soon,” Dean assured the younger man as he ended their call. With keys in one hand and his phone in the other, he made his way to the Impala, not looking around as he did. He missed the slight movement of a shadow as it passed by him. It wasn’t until he saw a reflection in the driver’s side window that he realized he wasn’t alone. He felt his heart slamming in his chest as he silently chastised himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. He had been more focused on getting to the car and picking Sam up than where he was and who or what might be around him. That was a rookie mistake, one that could get him killed. It took Dean a moment to realize he recognized the face of the man in the window. It was the guy from the bar; the one that had tried to buy him a drink, the one who had been watching him. Jason. He could feel his skin start to tingle as goosebumps formed. This wasn’t right, the situation he found himself in. How had this man even found him? He hadn’t told him where they were staying. Had the man followed them? And if so, why? What did the man want? Or better yet, who did he want? Dean whipped around to confront Jason and grunted in surprise when he found himself pinned up against the car, unable to move as Jason leaned against him. “What the hell are you doing? Get off me!” he demanded. 

“Hello, my pretty,” Jason said as he cornered Dean, pushing Dean up against the Impala with his full body weight, pinning Dean in place like he was a butterfly on display. “So, you’re a hunter?” he questioned as he stared into wide green eyes. “I can smell death on you. No matter, you won’t be for much longer.” He offered Dean a sly smile. “Well, not in the sense that you once were. You’ll hunt, just not what you’re used to hunting.” He ignored Dean’s words as he continued to hold him against the car. He felt Dean’s attempts at struggling to free himself and chuckled. “Sweetheart, stop your useless struggles. You’ll only end up hurting yourself in the end and I don’t want that. I don’t want to see you covered in bruises.”

“What do you want?” Dean demanded as he continued to struggle, hoping to free himself from the man’s freakishly strong grip on him. Jason seemed to be an impenetrable wall keeping him pinned between his body and the car. “How did you find me? Did you follow me?”

Jason smiled at Dean’s questions knowing he needed to answer him. “Yes, I followed you last night. I saw you with that other… with him. I needed to see you were alright. You wouldn’t give me a chance and now, it’s time you do.”

“Let go of me!” Dean gritted out in frustration. “That guy, he’s the one I love. You need to get over yourself and get the fuck off me!”

“Shh, my mate, you just need to relax. Everything will be fine, once you give yourself to me,” Jason crooned softly as he leaned in and kissed Dean’s cheek. 

Mate? Just what the hell was this lunatic talking about? Dean didn’t have time to dwell on things as he struggled to get free. The only thing he wanted was for the guy to get off him and to get away from him, needing to put some much-needed distance between himself and Jason. “Fuck you!” he gritted out. Letting his keys and phone fall to the hard asphalt, he balled his hands up onto fists and attempted to take a swing at the man holding him like he was nothing more than dead weight. His ears barely registered the sound of his phone cracking as the screen hit the hard ground or the sound of the metal keys clanging against the asphalt. Nothing was making sense to him. His mind was jumbled with thoughts as to why he couldn’t get this guy off him. What did this guy want from him? Why was Jason so transfixed on him? Whatever was going on, he just knew he didn’t like it.

“I see I’ll have to take a different approach with you right now. No matter, soon you’ll be mine.” Jason grabbed Dean by the chin, using it as a way to move Dean’s head as he slammed the back of Dean’s head against the frame of the car. He felt Dean’s body go limp and he let go of him, letting Dean slide down the body of the car until he slumped to the ground. He watched as Dean’s green eyes blinked rapidly and then Dean looked up at him for a brief moment. Looking down at Dean, he gave him a toothy smile, letting Dean know what he really was before Dean passed out. 

Dean felt the blow to the back of his head as he made contact with the unyielding metal of the car. He grunted in pain and tried to blink several times in an attempt to clear his darkening vision as Jason let go of him, allowing him to slump down against the car and eventually onto the ground. He looked up at Jason, taking in the man’s face and the last thing he saw was the smile Jason gave him; one displaying his elongated canines.  _ Vampire! _ , his mind screamed before everything went black.

“I’m sorry my mate. I didn’t want to have to use force against you, but you just wouldn’t stop fighting me.” Jason spoke softly to an unconscious Dean as he crouched down next to him. “But soon, you’ll understand everything. Once we’re safely back in the nest and you’ve turned and fed, everything will be clear to you.” Jason slid his arms underneath Dean’s slack body, cradling his head with his right arm and supporting Dean’s legs with his left arm under his knees, he lifted Dean up from the ground, easily carrying him as if he was carrying a child, back to his waiting car. Once he had Dean safely tucked in the backseat, he slid behind the wheel and pulled out of the motel parking lot, driving them in the direction of the abandoned farm he and his companions had claimed as their nest. 


	7. Gone

With his research done, Sam paced the walkway as he waited for Dean to show up. His investigation hadn’t yielded any information other than when the town had been established. He had determined that the town really was a sleepy little town with an extremely low crime rate. The last murder had happened nearly twenty-five years ago and the most notorious crime to be reported lately had been that of two adolescents breaking into a few homes to raid the stocked refrigerators. As for the people that had gone missing, he couldn’t pinpoint anything supernatural that may have caused their disappearances. Frustrated and at a loss, he had called it quits and grabbed his phone, placing a call to Dean to pick him up. “Dean, it was a total bust, guess you were right,” he said when he heard Dean’s whiskey smooth voice on the other end. “There’s nothing else for me to do here. Can you come pick me up?” He heard Dean telling him that he’d be there shortly to pick him up and then ended the call.

Looking at his phone log, Sam noticed that twenty minutes had passed since he had hung up with Dean. He knew it shouldn’t be taking Dean that long to show up. But then again, Dean’s idea of soon didn’t always match up with his. He’d give him a little more time before he tried calling again. With that decision made, he made his way over to one of the stone benches that lined the pathway leading up to the library and sat down. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small notebook to read through the notes he had made on the town they were staying in, hoping something jumped out at him. When nothing did, he slammed the notebook closed and shoved it back into his bag, and then checked his phone. 

Annoyed, Sam tried calling Dean’s phone again. The first couple of times he had called, he had gotten Dean’s voicemail but hadn’t left a message figuring Dean was probably in the shower or even on his way. But then again, Dean would have told him he was jumping in the shower; Dean wouldn’t have left him hanging. Now that nearly forty-five minutes had passed, he wasn’t so sure that Dean was just running late. This time, when he got Dean’s voicemail he left a message. “Dean, what the hell man? Did you forget me? You better not be screwing around, or asleep. Where are you and why aren’t you picking up?” Ending the call, he gave Dean another fifteen minutes before he left the library to walk the half-hour back to their motel room. It wasn’t that he wasn’t capable of the walk, it was because Dean never broke his word to him that had him annoyed. As he got closer to the motel, his annoyance started to morph into concern. It wasn’t like Dean to ignore his call, or to not show up. Something had to have come up that would have stopped Dean from picking him up, he just didn’t know what. 

As he made his way through the parking lot, Sam saw the Impala sitting in the same spot as it had been prior to him and Dean leaving for breakfast earlier that day, but something was off about it. Taking a step closer, he gasped when he saw Dean’s keys and phone on the ground next to the car. “Dean,” he whispered in confusion as he continued to stare at the abandoned keys. Crouching down, he grabbed at the keys and phone, picking them up to examine them. There was nothing wrong with the keys, but the phone had seen better days. The case was scuffed and the screen was cracked and broken, and that wasn’t how Dean’s had been earlier. Standing up, Sam looked around the parking lot, searching for any sign of his brother. “Dean!” Sam called out. 

With no coming answer from Dean, Sam searched the Impala hoping the car held some clues as to what was going on. Opening the driver’s side door, he peered inside, scrutinizing the interior for a sign as to where Dean was and what the hell was going on. Leaning in, he opened the glovebox hoping that maybe Dean had taken one of their backup burner phones. Seeing that they were still there, he slammed the small compartment door closed. He rubbed his forehead, hoping something would come to light as to what was going on. Finding nothing, he pulled himself out of the car, stood up, closed the door, and rounded the back of the car, and popped open the trunk. One look inside told him nothing had been distributed. Closing the trunk, he looked over at their motel room. That was the only other place he hoped would hold some answers. 

Feeling a sense of dread take hold of him, Sam walked over to their room and tried the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Taking a deep breath, he fished out his room key and unlocked the door. Not knowing what he might find, he pulled his gun out from the waistband of his jeans and slowly turned the knob letting the door swing open to reveal an empty room. He stood there at the threshold looking into their room. Everything looked the same. Nothing seemed out of place or disturbed; the two beds were still as they had left them - one was still made up while the one they had shared was still rumpled from them sleeping in it. His and Dean’s duffle bags were still on the floor in front of the unused bed. Dean’s laptop was still sitting open on the table in the tiny kitchenette and both chairs were still pushed in. 

“Dean,” he called out in a hesitant voice, hoping that Dean was playing some sort of prank on him. He could tell from the eerie quietness of the room that Dean wasn’t inside. Grabbing a hold on the shoulder strap of his messenger bag, he tightened his grip on it as he stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him as he began to search the room. He kept his gun out ready to protect himself if he had to. Taking off his bag and laying it down on the bed, he made a quick search of the room, even checking under the beds and looking in the bathroom for Dean. He was alone and Dean was nowhere to be found. Dean was gone; Dean had vanished, and he had no idea what to do or where to look. He dropped down onto the bed, letting his gun fall next to him as he ran his fingers through his hair. Dean was gone. No, Dean wouldn’t willingly leave him; he knew that in his heart. He just had to figure out what was going on, because the only way Dean would leave him without giving him a hint as to where he had gone or why, was if something had happened to him, or if someone made Dean leave. But who, and why?

With a resolve to find Dean, Sam grabbed his gun, hid it in the waistband of his jeans, and stood up, making his way to the door and out of their room. He stood for a moment scanning the parking lot, looking for any security cameras that might have picked something up. Seeing none, he felt his heart plummet to his stomach. He had hoped that maybe the motel would have had cameras. He wasn’t giving up just yet. He made his way over to the motel’s office with the thought that maybe the manager had seen something or maybe the office had a camera or two with one pointed at the parking lot. As he pushed the door open, the little bell overhead rang letting the person inside know of his presence. He watched as a stocky, middle-aged man stood up, making eye contact with him. He offered the man a tight smile. Trying to control his breathing, he could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He could feel his hands beginning to get clammy and his head was swimming with thoughts of where Dean could be and if the man standing on the other side of the counter held any answers for him. “Hey…” he started off and then went silent. 

“Hey,” the manager said with a nod of his head. “So, are you here to extend your stay, or is there some kind of a problem?” he asked in a flat tone showing his lack of concern as to why Sam was standing in front of him. 

“Ah, no… I was kind of hoping you could help me with something.” Sam watched as the man frowned at him. “The guy I’m with, he’s gone…”

The man raised his hand, cutting Sam off. “Look, whatever’s going on in your life, I want no part of,” he said in an annoyed voice. “You pay for your room, you do whatever it is behind closed doors. As long as it’s legal, I don’t care.”

“No,” Sam responded with a shake of his head. “Let me explain, the guy…”

“Again, not my business. So some guy you picked up is gone. If he robbed you, call the cops.” The man gave a shake of his head. “Look, I run a clean place. I don’t ask about my customers’ business. You know why? Because I don’t want to know.” 

“The guy’s my brother,” Sam replied as he slammed his hand down on the counter, wanting the manager’s full attention. He watched as the man’s eyes widened and his lips formed an “O”. “He was supposed to pick me up at the library but didn’t show up. When I made it back here, I found the keys to his car on the ground next to the car along with his phone; it looks like it got smashed. Did you see anything? Do you have cameras that might be pointed at the parking lot?”

“Sorry, I didn’t see or hear anything and the only camera we have,” the man said as he pointed to the camera attached to the wall over the door, “is pointed at the counter. Wish I could help you.”

Sam turned and looked up at the wall above the door, feeling his stomach sink to his feet. He had known it was a long shot, but he held out hope that maybe he would get some answers as to what happened in the parking lot. “Thanks,” he responded somberly as he pulled the door open and stepped outside. He stood there for a few minutes outside of the office wondering what to do next. The only thing he could think of was to return to their room to wait, hoping Dean miraculously made his way back to him. 

The waiting and not knowing was the hardest on Sam. He didn’t dare leave the area for fear that Dean might return to the motel only to find him gone. He had put out feelers with other hunters hoping someone might know something that could lead him to Dean or at least point him in the right direction. He had used a cover story; that they were looking for a new hunter and to contact him if they heard anything. It was the best thing he could think of. Either way, there was no news. No one seemed to know anything. It was like Dean had vanished into thin air. After nearly three weeks of waiting and hoping for a sign he knew wasn’t coming, he had packed up their belongings and had turned to Bobby for help. He just hoped that he and Bobby could figure out what had happened and bring Dean home. He wouldn’t rest until he was reunited with Dean. 


	8. Turned

With Dean in the backseat of the car, Jason pulled into the driveway of the abandoned farmhouse. The asphalt of the driveway was missing in places making the car rock as he pulled to a stop. Glancing in the rearview mirror he saw that Dean was still out cold. His lips twitched up into a smile at the sight of the man who would soon be turned by him and become his mate. He has sired several fledglings over the years but had never considered them to be his mate. He had been searching for a mate for several years and had nearly given up until he had walked into the bar and he had set eyes on the green-eyed man. He knew at that moment he had found the man destined to be his mate. Now he had Dean and there was no way he was letting him go. 

Getting out of the car he approached the house, wanting to get the front door open so he could easily carry Dean from the car into the house. As he pushed open the door, Madison appeared and he smiled at her. “Hold the door open for me.” He turned away, ready to return to Dean when he heard Madison speaking to him.

“Is he here? Is he with you?” Madison questioned as he reached out and placed her right hand against the worn wooden door holding it open as Jason had requested. 

“Yes, and once he’s safely inside and settled, I plan to turn him.” With that for an answer, he walked back to the car, pulling Dean from the backseat.

“Sam…” Dean murmured as he was jostled. In his unconscious state, he had no idea what was happening to him. He was unaware that he had been taken by a vampire set on turning him and making him his mate. 

Sam. Hearing the other man’s name being uttered from Dean’s lips was enough to set Jason on edge, but he forced himself to focus on his task; getting Dean safely inside. Once Dean had been turned and understood that he was now his mate, Dean would have no need for this Sam. And if Dean refused to fall in line and accept his role, letting go of Sam, he would make an example of Sam. He would bring Sam to Dean. He would allow them to reunite, only for Dean to be the one to take Sam’s life. To make Dean understand that he had no need for anyone but him, he would force Dean to drink from Sam until Dean had bled him dry. And if Dean refused, then he and his other companions would show just how vicious they could be. He would ensure that Sam’s death was filled with pain and horror. Then, Dean would have only him and he would understand he needed to bend to his will or suffer the consequences. He would starve Dean until Dean bent to his will. With his plan thought out, he carried Dean inside and into the living room, lying him down on one of the mattresses they had dragged down from the upstairs bedrooms. When they had claimed the farmhouse as theirs, they had ransacked it, bringing anything of use into the living room to create their shared nest. He had claimed the king-sized mattress as his own which would now be Dean’s as well for however long they stayed in the farmhouse. 

Placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder Madison gave him a reassuring squeeze. “You have your mate. It’s just a matter of time before he’s truly yours,” she said in a soothing voice. 

“Yes,” Jason replied in a distracted voice as he looked at Dean. Moving Dean’s head to the side in order to expose his neck, his gaze rested on the mark marring Dean’s pale freckled skin. He bristled at the sight. That interloper had tried to lay claim to what was his. He snarled at the mark as he reached out and ran his fingers over the reddened area. “No matter, soon enough that mark will be a thing of the past,” he said darkly. The mark would be gone, replaced with the puncture wounds his teeth left when he sank then into Dean’s tender skin. His mark would replace the one Sam had left. His mark would be permanent, reminding Dean that he belonged to him and not this Sam that Dean thought mattered so much to him. 

“Your mate is simply stunning. When he changes, he’ll be even more so,” Madison stated as she peered over Jason’s shoulder.

“Yes, he is and he definitely will be. His pale skin will be nearly translucent. His green eyes will sparkle. When he drinks and when the blood colors his skin, he’ll be hard to resist,” Jason confirmed as he stood up, backing away from Dean's unconscious body.

“When will you turn him?”

Jason rubbed a hand over his jaw as he considered Madison’s question. “I don’t want him to feel too much pain, but I do want him to be aware of what’s happening to him. It’ll make it easier for him when he turns.”

“Very true,” Madison agreed. “It was easier for me when you turned me. Although, I asked for you to turn me. It was easier knowing what was happening.”

The sound of movement caught their attention and they both turned to see Rhett and Tyler entering the living room to join them.

Walking over to Jason, Rhett offered him his hand. “Congratulations, I’m very happy for you.”

“Yes, congratulations,” Tyler echoed. “When’s the blessed event?”

“Soon,” Jason said softly as he watched Dean stirring on the mattress. 

Dean could hear voices speaking; voices he didn’t recognize. He fought against the darkness attempting to envelop him. Something in the back of his mind was telling him he was someplace that wasn’t safe. He heard the voices speaking again; speaking about him. He heard them mention something about a turning but in his jumbled mind he couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. Turning him? What did that mean? Where was he and who was he with; he wondered as he began to fade, losing his fight against the darkness that was pulling at him. His last thought was of Sam as he sank back into unconsciousness.

Jason turned his attention to his companions for a moment. “Are those blood bags secure? I want them readily available for when Dean wakes from his turning.”

“Yes, they’re in the basement. I just checked on them before joining you. There’s nothing to worry about. They’re not going anywhere,” Rhett assures Jason.

Jason gave a nod of his head. “Good, once I’ve drained Dean to the point of being near death, I’ll feed him some of my blood. When he fully wakes, he’ll feel the need to feed and as my mate, I don’t want him to wait any longer than necessary. Dean will wait for nothing. He’ll want for nothing. Do I make myself clear?” he inquired as he met the eyes of the others standing with him. He heard them murmur yes; the others met his unyielding gaze. “Good. And no one is to harm Dean, no matter what happens. For some, the transition can be traumatic. He might fight his new life. I expect everyone to show him patience and guide him into his new life.”

“Of course, Jason. We’ll do everything we can to help Dean’s transition,” Madison assured Jason, doing her best to ease his worry over his soon-to-be turned mate.

All eyes turned toward Dean as he stirred again on the threadbare and musty mattress, watching as his head thrashed from side to side. They heard him mumbling incoherently; seeming to call out in his sleep.

“Jason,” Madison started to say, only to be cut off by Jason.

“It’s time,” Jason confirmed as he walked over to Dean and knelt down next to the mattress. He had decided that Madison would remain with him when he drank from Dean, ensuring that he didn’t kill Dean if he was overcome with bloodlust. He heard movements as Rhett and Tyler left the room giving him privacy as he gently lifted Dean up, supporting his head with one hand, pulling Dean to him so their chests were touching. He heard Dean sigh and felt Dean shift in his embrace. Lowering his head, he nosed at Dean’s neck, pushing Dean’s head to the side to gain access to his delicate skin he intended to bite into. He felt his canines lengthen, growing into razor-sharp points that would aid him in puncturing Dean’s skin and sink into his carotid artery, allowing him to drink Dean’s lifeblood to the point where Dean’s heart would nearly cease to beat. He ran his tongue over the sharp points of his canines before opening his mouth and biting into Dean’s flesh. He felt Dean jolt and attempt to pull away from him, but he steadily held him in his arms as he fed on him. 

Dean felt pain. It broke through the darkness that had claimed him, pulling him from his unconscious state. At first, he wasn’t sure of what had woken him until he felt a stabbing and throbbing pain in his neck and he tried to pull away from it, only to find that he couldn’t. His eyes moved rapidly under his closed eyelids until his eyes fluttered open. He looked up, unseeing at first, only registering the pain he felt. It shot down the left side of his neck and he let out a grunt as an awareness took hold of him. “What…” he managed to gasp out as his head began to swim and his body refused to do as he commanded it. He couldn’t move. Dimly he realized he was being held. He vaguely heard a sound. He couldn’t place it, not understanding why it sounded like someone was slurping something they were drinking. He was aware enough to know that it wasn’t him making that sound. 

From behind him, he heard a woman speaking softly; telling him to relax, to not fight what was happening, and just let his turning take place. He tried to jerk away from the sounds around him and the pain engulfing him, but couldn’t. He was aware of how cold he was becoming and how heavy his limbs were. Was that why he couldn’t move, he wondered to himself. Was he frozen solid? He wanted to laugh at that thought, but couldn’t even muster up the strength to do that. He tried to move again as warning bells went off in his head; something was wrong with him and if he didn’t move, didn’t try to get away, things would end badly for him. With as much force as he could muster, he willed his arms to move. He managed to raise his left arm, trying to bat away at whatever was holding him only to have something grab onto his arm and lower it back down to his side. He felt fingers stroking his forehead and then a male voice was speaking to him, telling him to relax and that everything would be over soon. “No…” he uttered in a whispered voice as his eyes fluttered closed. 

Vaguely, somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice; one that sounded like his own telling him to fight, to not give in to what was happening, that he needed to fight, he needed to survive not only for himself but for Sam. But then he heard more voices murmuring to him, telling him to just let go, to stop fighting. The voices were beginning to sound so convincing. He didn’t want to fight. He was tired and he wanted to sleep. He opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came. Within moments, he let his eyes slip closed as he gave in to the desire to sleep.

Madison placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You need to stop feeding on your mate, lest you drain him dry. You’ve come too far to let that happen. Listen,” she said as she cocked her head to the side listening to the faint beating of Dean’s heart. “His heart is barely beating. If you don’t feed him your blood, he won’t survive for much longer,” she advised.

Reluctantly Jason lifted his head up, his eyes burning brightly with blood-lust from his feeding. He licked his lips and offered Madison a nod to acknowledge her words. He knew she was speaking the truth to him, that if he didn’t stop feeding, he would kill Dean, not turn him. He took a moment to concentrate on the sound of Dean’s beating heart; if it wasn’t for his heightened hearing, he wouldn’t have been able to hear the low and slow beat of his heart. To anyone else, Dean would have appeared to be dead. He brought his right wrist up to his mouth and bit down, puncturing the skin in order to draw his own blood to share with Dean. Before the wound closed, he pressed it to Dean’s parted lips, letting his blood drip into Dean’s mouth and down his throat. He petted Dean’s head, silently urging Dean to drink from him until the blood stopped flowing and the wound he had created closed as if it had never happened. When the wound had healed, he pulled his wrist away from Dean’s lips and watched as the wound he had created on Dean’s neck slowly disappeared along with the mark that had been left on Dean’s skin from Sam. He felt a spark of anger just from thinking about the mark and that another's lips had been on Dean, but it was quickly replaced by satisfaction with the knowledge that Dean was now his fledgling and mate. Now he needed to let Dean rest until he woke, transformed from his once human state to join him as his mate. Standing up, he backed away from the mattress to wait for Dean to wake. He had no idea how long it would take until Dean’s change was complete. For some, the change could take a few minutes, while for others it could take a few hours. He would just have to be at the ready for when Dean woke and needed to feed. Until then, he would sit and watch over Dean, making sure no harm came to him.

“Well, things seem to be moving along for him,” Madison confirmed as she eyed Dean’s now transitioning form lying as still as the dead on the mattress. “Come boys, let’s retire to another room until we’re needed.” She made a sweeping motion with her hands, ushering Rhett and Tyler out of the room. “Jason, call if you need anything.”

Jason watched as his companions left the room. Sinking down onto one of the few remaining chairs that would still support any weight on its frame, he settled in to wait for Dean to awaken to his new life. He smiled at that thought; that Dean would soon be joining him. 

Dean blinked his eyes several times as he tried to get his bearings. He heard sounds, but they were muffled, almost as if he was underwater. He shook his head, trying to clear it so he could make sense of things around him. As he sat up, his head began to spin and his stomach flip-flopped, and he groaned, hoping he wasn’t about to throw up. Closing his eyes quickly, he took a moment to center himself before opening his eyes again to figure out what was going on. Slowly, he opened his eyes, letting them become adjusted to his too bright surroundings. As he looked around, to him, it was like the room had been flooded with a bright light making everything harsh and glaring to his sensitive eyes. Raising his arm, he brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright light. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get his eyes to adjust to the brightness, but he forced himself to look around. He needed to know where he was and what was happening. He knew he wasn’t in the motel room with Sam, and he wasn’t in the Impala, so that begged the question as to where he was. 

Looking down, he saw that he was still dressed as he had been when he had left the motel room to pick Sam up from the library; wearing his flannel shirt, t-shirt, jeans, and boots. He also noted that he was sitting on a mattress but it wasn’t one of the mattresses from the motel. As he looked around, he noted that he wasn’t in the motel at all, but in what looked to be a dilapidated farmhouse. He heard movement and quickly whipped his head up to focus on the sound. His green eyes landed on the source of the sound and he quickly scrambled away from the source when he discovered Jason quietly sitting in a chair watching him. “Where am I?” he demanded. “What’s going on? Did you… did you do something to me?”

Moving slowly as to not overwhelm Dean’s new heightened senses, Jason rose from the chair. With an outstretched arm, he walked over to Dean. “Beloved, try to remain calm. Let me explain everything. In time you’ll understand and come to embrace your new life.”

“New life? What the hell does that mean?” Dean took a step backward trying to put as much distance between Jason and himself. He began to feel woozy and bent adversity at his hips, placing his hands on his thighs to steady himself. “What did you do to me? I don’t feel so good.” He couldn’t seem to think clearly and wanted nothing more than for things to make sense to him. “Did you drug me? How did I get here?”

“You need to give your body time to adjust, my beloved,” Jason crooned softly to Dean as if he was trying to soothe a frightened animal. Closing the distance between them, he reached out and placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder, running his finger back and forth. “You need to eat.” 

“Wait, beloved?” Dean questioned when his brain started to function again. 

Jason ignored Dean’s question. “Madison, Dean’s awake. Would you be so kind as to fetch him something to eat?”

“Where’s Sam? Did you hurt him?” Dean demanded as he forced himself to straighten up, shrugging off Jason’s hand. 

Jason curled and uncurled his fingers into fights as he tried to look past Dean’s question regarding Sam. Once Dean had fed, he’d deal with that situation. “All in good time.” He turned when he heard movement to find Madison, Rhett, and Tyler dragging in one of their guests. “Ah, yes, this should help make things clearer for you. Once you’ve fed you’ll feel better. Your mind will be clearer.”

Dean looked in confusion at Jason and the others not understanding what was happening. Slowly, he felt his body beginning to respond to the woman being dragged over to him. “What? What’s happening to me?” He could feel an unbelievable thirst come over him as he licked his too dry lips. He wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into her neck and drink her blood. His eyes widened in shock and horror at that thought. 

“My mate, you’re feeling the need to feed. As a newly turned vampire, you need to feed. Once you’ve drunk your fill, you’ll feel better. Things will be clearer,” Jason assured Dean as he grabbed the frightened woman and dragged her to Dean. 

Dean watched as the woman shook her head. He could hear her trying to speak, begging from behind the gag in her mouth. She tried to pull away from Jason’s hold on her arm, but her hands were bound by rope in front of her and her feet were tied together with rope as well. He looked into frightened eyes that pleaded with him for mercy. He heard her begging for her life. 

“Feed,” Jason urged as he pushed the woman into Dean’s arms. 

Vampire? He had been turned into a vampire! His mind screamed as everything clicked into place. “No! No way in hell am I feeding on her!” Dean bellowed. If he could hold out from feeding, if he could get back to Sam, maybe Sam could help him. There was a cure. He just needed to make it out of this place without ingesting human blood. 

“Dean, you need to feed,” Jason said softly, almost pleading with Dean to feed. 

“No!” Dean yelled in defiance. “That’s not going to happen. Just let the girl go. She won’t say anything about this. Right?” he asked as he looked into the frightened girl's eyes, watching as she nodded her head yes. 

“This is for your own good,” Jason murmured as he grabbed Dean by the throat, forcing Dean to let go of the girl as he pushed Dean against the wall. “Madison, would you be so kind as to assist me?”

“Of course, it would be my pleasure,” Madison confirmed as she grabbed the girl, stopping her from falling over. “It’s nothing personal, you see. We just need to feed, and well, we feed off humans.” She gave a bark of laughter as the girl tried to beg for her life. “Have some dignity. Your death will serve a greater good than your life has.”

“Don’t! Don’t hurt her!” Dean called out as he struggled to get free from Jason’s hold. 

Jason cocked his head to the side, studying Dean as he did. “Don’t worry about her. Her death will have meaning. Her blood will help you, feed you and you will grow stronger from it.” 

“No…” Dean said with a shake of his head. “No… I won’t… animal blood…”

“You won’t drink her blood?” Jason laughed at Dean’s reaction. “What, do you think you can survive on the blood of animals? That will sustain you, but the thirst will always be there and the blood from animals will never make you as strong as those who feed off of humans. Those are the weak-willed. Those are the vampires that hunters track and kill. No, my mate, you will feed on her and those like her.” He glanced over his shoulder to see that Rhett and Tyler had joined Madison and that they had brought the other human with them. He watched as they let both women fall to the floor, surrounding them as they cried and begged for their lives. “My mate…” he started to say, only to be cut off by Dean.

“Why do you keep calling me your mate?” Dean questioned, trying to distract Jason and the others from harming the two women. 

“Because, the moment I saw you, I knew there was a connection between us. I had been searching for my mate and had nearly given up until I saw you that night in the bar. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I knew you were the one for me,” Jason offered with a smile. 

“Sam…” Dean managed to say. “Where’s Sam? Did you hurt him?”

Jason’s mood darkened at hearing Dean’s concern for the human. “That human you were with? No, he’s fine, for now,” he snarled.

“What does that mean?” Dean asked, hoping to distract Jason more with his questions. And he needed to know if Sam was alright.

“That’s no concern of yours. He will be dealt with soon enough.” Jason turned from Dean to see what was going on with the two humans. 

“Wait… Please, please don’t hurt him,” Dean begged, getting Jason’s attention. 

“Why does it matter if I hurt him or not? He’s just an insignificant human,” Jason questioned as he turned back to study Dean. He saw a silent pleading in Dean’s green eyes. 

“He’s not insignificant. Not to me. If you hurt him… I’ll never forgive you,” Dean warned.

“Oh, in time you’ll forget him.”

“I won’t. I never will,” Dean promised. “And I’ll never be yours if you do.” 

Jason tightened his hold on Dean as he narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re already mine. Don’t you see that?” 

“I’m your possession. But if you want me to be your mate, you can’t hurt Sam.”

Jason smirked at Dean. Dean’s desperation was something he could work with. If he could strike a bargain with his willful mate, in time he would be able to win him over. “What will you give me in return for my word that I won’t hurt Sam?” 

“I’ll stay with you. I’ll be your mate. I’ll go wherever you want, as long as you and your friends don’t hurt Sam. None of you touch him, and I’ll do whatever you want,” Dean promised, hoping that would persuade Jason and the others to leave Sam alone. 

“If I agree to this, you will never speak his name. You will never see him again. If you contact him, I will kill him.” He saw a look of anger cross Dean’s face and smiled darkly as another thought came to his mind. “No, I won’t kill him, you will.” He watched as the look of anger morphed into one of horror on Dean’s face. “Yes, I’ll bring Sam to you, bloody and broken, but alive, and make you kill him if you break your word to me. I will watch as you feed on him, draining him dry until he is nothing but a husk and then maybe you will understand that you belong to me.” Jason leaned in close to Dean, his lips just barely touching Dean’s ear. “Do I make myself clear?”

He looked into Jason’s eyes and saw pure hatred in them. “Yes,” Dean croaked out. 

“Say it louder. Say that you understand. Tell me that you belong to me and that from this moment forward, you will never mention Sam’s name again. Swear to me that you will forget about him and the mortal life you had. If not, Sam won’t be the only one to end up dead. Anyone you once loved will suffer the same fate as Sam, at your hands. Do I make myself clear?” Jason demanded.

Dean fought not to cringe as he listened to Jason speak, knowing that what had just been said to him was the truth. Sam and anyone else he loved would be in danger if he didn’t agree to Jason’s demands. “Yes, I understand. I will have nothing to do with Sam or anyone else from my old life.” Tentatively he raised his hand to cup Jason’s cheek, hoping that small gesture would appease the vampire still holding him by his neck. “You’re… you’re my new life. I accept my place as your mate.” Silently he prayed that Jason would believe him. It was a lie, because there was no way he would ever be this vampire’s mate. There was no way he would ever submit to him, but he’d lie through his teeth, tell Jason anything he wanted to hear in order to keep Sam safe and he’d continue to lie until he was able to get away from him. 

Jason stepped closer to Dean, pressing their bodies together. “How can I believe you? How do I know you’re telling me the truth? No, I think it’s best if I eliminate the threat to our happiness.”

“You can believe me,” Dean assured Jason.

“Really? How can I? How do I know that you're not lying to me just so I’ll spare Sam’s life?” Jason reached out and caressed Dean’s cheek and then swiped his thumb over Dean’s bottom lip. “I know, you can prove your words to me.” He offered Dean a smirk as he let go of Dean and took a step back from him.

“How?” Dean asked as he looked at Jason in confusion.

“Feed from one of them. I provided you with your first meal. Feed, drink from one of those pitiful humans, and prove to me that you’re telling me the truth.” Jason pointed at the two women still lying on the ground surrounded by the others. 

Dean blinked several times as Jason’s words ran through his head. He knew he had no choice. In order to prove himself to Jason and to keep Sam safe, he had no choice but to drink human blood, and once he did that, he would never be able to take the cure they had discovered; the one using the blood of the one that sired him along with a few other ingredients they had uncovered in a journal Bobby had come into possession of a few years back. Whoever had written the book wasn’t sure if it would actually work on a vampire, but Dean had had hope until he was now presented with this problem. If he refused, he would be signing Sam’s death warrant. If he drank human blood, he was signing his own. Neither option was appealing to him, but he’d choose Sam’s life over his every time. 

With a slight nod of his head, he pushed past Jason and walked over to the two women. Kneeling down in front of one of them, he met their eyes and saw terror in them. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he grabbed one of the cowering women and pulled her to him. “I’ll do my best to make this painless,” he tried to assure her as he forced her head to the side to expose his vulnerable flesh. He stiffened when he felt the unfamiliar feeling of his canines elongating into sharp points to aid him in feeding on the woman. 

The horror Dean felt from the idea of drinking the woman’s blood was suddenly eclipsed by an overwhelming hunger he suddenly felt. Pulling her closer to him, he opened his mouth, lowered his mouth to her neck, and pressed his teeth to her flesh. He heard her yelping in pain as his razor-sharp canines pierced her sensitive flesh, but he ignored it as he sunk his teeth deep into her neck. He felt her struggles as she tried to get away from him and he only tightened his grip on her as he hungrily drank her blood. As he continued to drink his fill, losing himself in his hunger and the blood, he felt her struggles lessen and her pleas turn to soft whimpers. He felt a hand on the back of his head, fingers rubbing at the base of his skull, and then Jason’s voice cut through his mind bringing him back to the harsh reality of what was going on, reminding him of what he was doing; feed off a human, drinking their blood. As reality slammed him back to himself, he forced himself to stop feeding, pulling away from the dazed woman and letting her fall with a soft thud to the floor. He backed away from her, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, doing his best to get rid of any evidence of blood from his face. “Oh, god, I’m gonna be sick,” he uttered as he turned away from the woman he had just fed from. He felt his stomach flip as if he was going to throw up, but nothing happened. 

Jason crouched down next to Dean, watching him as he fed for the first time. He ran his tongue over his lips, remembering his first time feeding so many years ago. He remembered how powerless he had felt in his life until he had been turned. But once he had been turned he had known such power as he had never experienced before. And now he had given that to Dean. He reached out and placed his right hand on the back of Dean’s neck, gently running his fingers over the now cold and almost translucent skin. Dean had been pale prior to being turned, but now it was like his skin had an unearthly quality to it. Dean would still be able to pass for human, but he would have to be careful; he would need to feed regularly to maintain a healthy, human look to himself. He watched as Dean fed, the blood he was ingesting working it way through his body adding color back to his skin as though he was alive. He murmured softly to Dean as he fed, “That’s it, my sweetheart, feed, gorge yourself until you’re sated.” He felt Dean stiffen underneath his touch and pull away from him and the woman he had been feeding on. He heard Dean speaking and he tried to comfort him as Dean turned his back on him. “No, you needed to feed. You may feel strange; lightheaded and out of sorts, but that’s because you’ve just turned and fed. You’re still adjusting to your new life.”

“Is she… Did I kill her?” Dean dared to ask as he glanced over his shoulder at the woman who was no longer moving.

Looking over at the woman, he could see she was breathing; it was shallow but there. “No, my sweetheart, she’s still alive. But she won’t live through the night, not if the rest of us feed on her,” Jason explained in a soft voice.

“Please just let her go. You don’t have to feed on her or the other one. Let them both go. They’re innocent in all this. They don’t have to die.” Dean turned to face Jason. “Please just let them go.” 

“I can’t do that. You’ll need to feed again and we need to feed as well. Their lives have served a purpose, their deaths won’t be in vain. Think of it that way if you must.” 

“You’re a monster, you all are. And you made me into a monster. I used to hunt things like you. Now, I’m no better,” Dean spat out as he looked into Jason’s eyes, his lips curling down in disgust for what he had become and for those he was with. 

“Ah, you’re an actual hunter! You hunt the supernatural!” Jason exclaimed in glee, clapping his hands together as he spoke. “I thought when I smelled death on you, you were just a hunter returning from hunting some poor animal. This is a real boon for me. Not only is my mate breathtaking, but he’s also a former hunter.” 

“Well, this is something I never saw coming,” Tyler said as he stepped forward and picked up the woman Dean had just fed on. He licked his lips at the sight of the drying blood on her neck but refrained from feeding from her without Jason’s permission. The women had been brought back to their nest for Dean to feed on after being turned and he wasn’t about to anger Jason by taking a little taste. “We have a former hunter in our midst. That is unbelievable.” He gave a bark of laughter as he carried the woman out of the room, returning her to where they had been keeping her.

Silently Rhett stepped forward and picked up the other woman. She began to struggle in his arms, but with his strength, she was no match for him. “I’ll leave you to sort this out,” he said as he left the room.

“Jason, are you sure about this?” Madison questioned as she looked at Dean and then at Jason. 

“Nothing has changed. Dean is my mate and you and the others will do well to remember that. I’m your sire and I will not be questioned. He has proven himself to me and that’s what you need to remember,” Jason thundered as he stood and turned to glare at Madison.

Madison bowed to Jason. “Of course, no one was questioning your authority. We just wanted to make sure you weren’t having second thoughts.” She took a few steps back from him. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She turned and quickly made her way out of the room leaving Jason and Dean alone.

Standing up Dean brushed himself off. “Guess I’m not what you were expecting when you set your sights on me,” Dean commented with a chuckle. “Are you sure I’m the one you want?” 

“That little tidbit doesn’t matter. That was your old life. Your new life is with me. Now, let me explain things to you.” Jason motioned for Dean to join him as he sat down in the chair he had been sitting in earlier. He pointed to another of the chairs they had salvaged, waiting for Dean to sit before he began to speak. 

“Explain things? Like what, that I need to drink blood to live?” Dean asked sarcastically as he pulled the chair closer to him, putting some distance between himself and Jason before he sat down. 

“There’s a way we do things in this little coven of ours. I sired Rhett, Tyler, and Madison. There have been a few others over the years. Some have perished at the hands of hunters, while a few I had to destroy for not falling in line. I will not tolerate disobedience of any kind,” Jason explained. He watched as Dean stiffened, his back going ramrod straight.

Dean listened to what Jason was telling him. He felt himself bristle at his words. He opened his mouth to say something, only to shut it as he thought better of speaking. He was already in a precarious situation and didn’t want to anger him.

“I can see that you wanted to say something. What is it?”

Seeing that Jason had given him a chance to speak, Dean took it. “Well, there’s one thing you should know about me, I’m not good with being told what I can and can’t do. I tend to buck the system,” Dean stated as he slouched down in the chair, raising his arms and crossing them over his chest to emphasize his words. 

“Well, for you, I can allow a little leeway.”

“I’m kind of a brat,” Dean retorted with a smirk. 

“In time, I’ll break you of that.”

“I’m really not much of a prize. I think in time you’re gonna be sorry you ever set eyes on me,” Dean countered back trying to gauge Jason’s mood and devotion to this forced relationship. He wasn’t going to give in quietly if that was what Jason was expecting. 

Jason sighed and sat back in the chair, regarding Dean quietly as he did. “I can see that you’re going to be a challenge, one I’m going to enjoy,” he finally said, breaking the silence between them. “So, let me tell you what might happen if you anger me. You will feed last, after the others. Normally as my mate, you would feed after me, and then Madison would feed followed by Rhett and then Tyler. That’s our hierarchy. But would you anger me and need to be punished, you will go without feeding until the next time. So, my suggestion to you is that you don’t anger me.” 

“Noted,” Dean acknowledged with a nod of his head. “Anything else I should know?”

“You will stay by my side until I feel I can allow some freedom. But that will come in time. Now you may relax for a bit and then we’ll feast,” Jason offered as he stood. “Feel free to roam around, make yourself at home, but you may not leave this house. I have some business to tend to. I will check on you in a little while. Oh, one more thing, I found the phone and knife you had strapped to your ankle. Very clever,” He said with a wide smile before continuing on. “I disposed of the knife and destroyed what I’m assuming you call a burner phone. All temptations have been removed, for your own safety, you understand.” With a quick glance over his shoulder at Dean, he walked out of the room, leaving Dean alone with his thoughts.

Dean watched as Jason left the living room. He sat for a few minutes trying to make sense of everything that had happened. He realized he didn’t even know what day it was. He had no idea if it was night or day, and he really had no way of knowing if Sam really was safe. He would just have to take Jason’s word that Sam was alive and unharmed which didn’t sit well with him. He wanted to see Sam for himself, he wanted to hear Sam’s voice, but doing either of those would be signing Sam’s death warrant. With that thought in mind, he forced himself up from the chair he had been sitting in. He knew he had to keep himself busy or his mind would focus on Sam and begin to spiral out of control with concern and longing for Sam. 

He wandered into the kitchen, opening, and closing cabinets as he went, searching for any clue as to where he was. He had no way of knowing if he was in the same town or even the same state from where Jason had taken him. Finding the cabinets empty, he stood at the sink, his hands gripping the chipped and stained porcelain as he stared out the window at the overgrown yard. That too held no clues aside from the fact that wherever they were, wherever he was being kept, hadn't been used in years. Turning from the sink, he made his way out of the kitchen to investigate the living room where he found a small pile of wallets and purses in a pile on the wooden floor. He had to step around an area of the floor that was rotting away in order to get to the discarded items. 

Picking up one of the wallets, he opened it and pulled out the license, reading the name and the address listed on it: Derek Alexander, 141 Ledge St., Boston, MA. Replacing the license, he looked through the contents to find at least a hundred dollars in cash and several credit cards. Letting the wallet drop from his hands, he picked up one of the purses, rifled through it until he found a wallet, and pulled it out. Opening it, he pulled out the license to read the name: Lauren Hynes of 410 Manchester St., West Virginia. He replaced the license and wallet, letting the purse fall from his hands as he picked up another wallet. Opening, he pulled out the license to read the name: Thomas Hall of 36 Riverside Dr., Afton WY. That name rang a bell, and the location certainly hit home. He and Sam had been staying in the Lazy B Motel in Afton before things had gone sideways. That gave him hope that he was still in the same area. The other licenses told him that these vampires had trek across the country at some point, picking off unsuspecting people as they made their way to Wyoming. Looking at the license, reading the name, he recalled the news article Sam had been reading about the missing couple. Hadn’t the man’s name been Thomas Hall? He tossed the wallet down onto the pile with a shake of his head. There was nothing he could do for Thomas; the man was most likely dead, and soon those two women would join him and all the others that had come before them. He felt helpless as he thought about their fates and how he would probably play a part in their deaths. Hearing movement, he turned to find Madison standing in the doorway to the living room.

“What are you doing?” Madison questioned as she narrowed her eyes at Dean. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stood unmoving, waiting for an answer to her question. 

Dean flashed the woman a smile and then moved away from the pile of discarded items. “Just looking through things. Trying to figure out what’s going on,” he admitted. “This is all new to me.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to give her his best “ah-shucks” act. “I was just wondering what all this was.” He pointed to the pile. “Looks like you’ve moved all over.” There was no point in trying to hide that he had been looking through the information the wallets had provided him. And, at some point, he planned on using what he had found to his advantage. “What’s it like… living this life?”

Madison stepped into the room, walking closer to Dean, and stopped, cocking her head to the side as she regarded him and his question. “It’s empowering. No one can hurt us. No human is superior to us. They are our playthings or food, and you’ll do well to remember that. You’re probably still feeling some tie to your old life, to your human ways, but soon, that will be replaced with your loyalty to our coven and to your sire and mate.”

“Is that how it is for you? You feel loyalty to your sire? Who is your sire?”

“Jason is. He turned me at my request several years ago.”

“Well, at least you had a choice in the matter,” Dean grumbled as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It would have been nice to have been asked, is all I’m saying,” he added when he saw Madison scowl at him.

“I can see your point of view. Jason saw something in you, well, he was overcome with the desire to turn you. He doesn’t turn many. He’s only turned a handful really over the years. And only those he finds worthy of the gift of eternal life.” Madison smiled as she closed the distance between them, raised her hands, and placed them on Dean’s shoulders. “You, you’re very special to him. He was captivated by you the moment he set eyes on you. Don’t disappoint him. You won’t like it if he’s angry with you.”

“Is Jason your…”

“My mate?” Madison asked with a laugh. “No, we only take one mate and we mate for life. I have yet to find a mate. Rhett and Tyler are in the same position. But we’ll know it when we cross paths with the one fated to be our mate.” 

“Oh, I just thought…”

“You still have much to learn.” Madison pulled herself away from Dean and clasped her hands together. “We’ll help with that. Tonight we’ll celebrate your turning and then tomorrow you’ll be shown how to hide the dead.” She turned and started for the door, only to stop and turn back to Dean. “Feel free to continue rifling through those useless items. They tell an interesting story as to where we’ve been. Once we leave this place, they’ll be left behind, and then we’ll start a new journey,” she informed Dean before turning and leaving him alone in the living room.

Dean knew from experience that once a vampire consumed a great deal of blood they felt the need to rest. He hoped that would be the case tonight and that he could use it to his advantage. His first thought was that he could use that time to his advantage and take them out but quickly realized that wouldn’t work. He had no weapons he could use to take off their heads, and right now, he was no match for them in the state he was in. No, he had to think of something else. Right now, he’d just be happy to get away from the hell he found himself in. 

Returning to the pile, he began to go through the wallets, taking what cash he found and a few credit cards and stashing it under the mattress Jason had informed him was theirs. Involuntarily he shuddered at that thought. The last thing he wanted was to share anything with Jason. He didn’t want Jason touching him, he didn’t want Jason. He wanted Sam. Just the thought of Sam’s name awoke an ache in him; one telling him that Sam was his mate. Sam was the only one for him. Sam would only ever be the one for him. But with that knowledge, he knew if he ever managed to get away from Jason, he’d never be able to see Sam again. Not only would he fear that Jason would come for him thinking he belonged to him, but he feared that Jason would be true to his word and kill Sam. Plus, the pull he felt for Sam, to seek him out, was also compounded by the desire to turn Sam so they would always be together. He shook his head at that; no, he would never condemn Sam to this life that had been forced on him. If he managed to get away from Jason and his companions, he would make sure he stayed away from Sam. It would hurt not to be with Sam, but it would be best for him, that way, he would never have to live with the fear that Jason would kill Sam, or that he would slip up and either turn Sam or kill him when the need to drink blood overtook him. With the start of a plan, he made sure everything looked like it had before he had started going through things. Now, he just had to get through the evening’s planned celebration and hope for the best. 

Once everyone had sated their hunger and the bodies had been removed at Dean’s request, Jason had given the order that it was time for them to sleep. He sat on the edge of the mattress thinking of the two women he had a hand in killing. He looked up as Jason walked over to him. “Why? Why did they have to die?” The only comfort he could take was that even though he had fed from them, he hadn’t been the one to end their lives. Rhett and Tyler had been the last to feed on them, drinking until their hearts had given out, no longer able to beat and pump blood through their bodies.

Joining Dean on their mattress, he ran his thumb across Dean’s lips. “In time you’ll come to understand that it’s best to end the human’s life. It’s not cruel, it’s actually the benevolent thing to do. Now, put these worries out of your mind. We need to sleep.” He glanced over at the other mattresses to see that Madison had curled up on hers and was watching them through drowsy eyes. Rhett had already drifted off and Tyler wouldn’t be awake much longer. He felt the need to sleep pulling at him as he stretched out on the mattress, pulling Dean down so Dean was lying next to him. “Tomorrow things will be clearer for you, beloved,” he whispered and then pressed a kiss to Dean’s cheek and then succumbed to sleep himself. 

Dean lay there in the dark thinking of what to do next. He had no idea if everyone else was actually asleep or how long he had been lying there next to Jason. Taking a chance, he rolled over and sat up. When no one moved, he slid off the mattress to kneel next to it as he snaked a hand underneath it to pull out the cash and credit cards he had stashed there, stuffing them into his pockets. Feeling bolder, he stood and quietly made his way to the living room door. Stopping, he looked over to see that no one had moved. Taking that as a sign, he slipped out of the farmhouse and out into the darkened night. Without a glance back at the farmhouse, he started running, putting as much distance as he could between himself and those he had just managed to escape from, and Sam. 


	9. Disclosure

“Who is this and how did you get this number?” Bobby demanded when he finally answered his phone. The first few times the unknown number had flashed across his cellphone screen, he had ignored it, but whoever it was on the phone was persistent. After the seventh call in an hour, he had grabbed his phone hell-bent on telling whoever it was to stop calling. “You better have a good reason for having this number…”

“Bob… Bobby, it’s me,” Dean croaked into the phone.

“Damn it’s good to hear your voice. How are you and Sam? Why aren’t you calling me from your phone?” As he asked the question, he knew something wasn’t right. Dean didn’t sound like himself and there wasn’t a reason he could think of for Dean to be calling him from a number he didn’t recognize. 

“Bobby… something’s happened.”

“What? Are you boys alright?” Bobby asked, trying desperately to keep his rising panic out of his voice. 

“Yeah… yeah, Sam’s fine. Me… not so much.”

“What? Are you hurt?”

“I got attacked,” Dean admitted. 

“Then you boys come home. We’ll patch you up and get you back on your feet in no time,” Bobby urged.

“Bobby… Wish I could. It’s not that simple.”

“You’re not making sense, Dean. What aren’t you telling me?”

“The guy who attacked me… he wasn’t a guy. He wasn’t human. I never saw him until it was too late. And then…” Dean let his words trail off as he tried to figure out how to tell Bobby what had happened. “Bobby, he’s a vampire. He… he got the best of me.”

“What are you telling me? What are you saying?”

“He managed to turn me. I’m… I’m not human. Not anymore.”

“Dean, you come home. We’ll figure it out. We’ve got a cure…”

“Won’t work. As soon as he turned me, he forced me to drink. He knew I was a hunter.”

“Dean…”

“I managed to get away from him and the others in his coven or whatever he was calling it. He turned me because he thinks I’m his mate.”

“Dean, you come home, you hear me?” Bobby demanded.

“I can’t. I’ll hurt you. I’ll hurt Sam. I gotta keep you both safe. The one who turned me, he knows about Sam. He threatened to kill him. I did the only thing I could do, I left without a word. Sam doesn’t know anything. He doesn’t know I got turned. He doesn’t know where I am. He can’t know because he’ll come looking for me. He’ll try to fix things and there’s no way of fixing this. It’ll only get him killed and I can’t live with that. Please, Bobby, you gotta keep him safe,” Dean begged. If his heart still beat, he knew it would be beating out of his chest. But it wasn’t, and it never would again. 

“What do you want me to do?” Bobby asked in a tired voice. He felt as if his entire world had just come crashing down on him. Dean had been turned. Dean was one of the things they hunted and killed. But Dean was one of their own, and there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do to help him out. 

“If Sam comes to you, tell him you haven’t heard from me. Tell him you don’t know anything. Tell him I’m dead if you have to. Just don’t tell him what’s happened.”

“You want me to lie to him?” Bobby questioned in disbelief. “Is that what you’re asking of me?”

“Yes, if that’s what will keep him safe. I can’t have him trying to find me. I won’t be able to stop myself from turning him. It didn’t work with Jason… He couldn’t control me because I’m not his mate,” Dean all but whispered into the phone.

“Because vampires mate for life,” Bobby stated.

“Yeah, and I can feel the pull. I can feel that Sam’s my mate and I won’t condemn him to this. If he comes after me…”

“Dean…” Bobby started to say, only for Dean to cut him off.

“Bobby, we’ve gotta keep him in the dark. I don’t know if anyone’s watching him. They could follow him to me. Jason could use him against me. I can’t… I can’t…”

“Okay, Dean, I’ll do what I can. But you know how that kid is. Sam’s not gonna give up so easily. He’s like a dog with a bone; when he wants something, he won’t stop until he gets it. And he’s gonna want answers,” Bobby mused. “I’ll misdirect as much as I can, but eventually he’s gonna figure out that I know something.”

“Yeah, but you’re good at keeping secrets,” Dean offered with a deep, throaty chuckle. “But all kidding aside, I need to know that you’ll keep him safe and away from me. Away from trying to find out where I am. He won’t be safe if he does.”

“Where are you? Are you someplace safe?” Bobby finally thought to ask. 

“Trying to stay off the grid. I smashed my phone when I fought with Jason, and he found and destroyed my backup phone. Tossed out my knife, too. Once I was able to get away, I took off and didn’t stop until I put a couple hundred miles between me, them, and Sam. Haven’t found a place to stay. Been moving around. They had a stash of wallets from those they killed. Don’t know why they kept them, souvenirs maybe? Anyway, I managed to take what I could; cash and a couple of credit cards. I’ve used the cards until it got too dicey to keep using them anymore. I bought a beat-up truck in one of the towns I was passing through and I’ve been sleeping in that.”

“There’s a cabin, an old hunter’s retreat right on the Canadian border. Can you make it to North Dakota? I can send you the coordinates. It’s pretty rural up in those parts. No other neighbors around for miles. Only us old-timers would even remember the cabin; it’s so far out of the way. There’s a generator and a fireplace if I remember correctly. No one will bother you. The nearest town’s about twenty miles out. Most people up there keep to themselves,” Bobby confided. “Might be just the place for you. You can lay low until we figure things out.”

“Bobby, there’s nothing to figure out.”

“Damn it, Dean! Don’t be so stubborn. We gotta get this vamp off your ass. He’s gonna be looking for you and he ain’t gonna stop until he finds you. You might be protecting Sam, but someone’s gotta protect you!”

“Yeah, okay. Send me the coordinates. I’ll go there if you think it’s safe,” Dean reasoned, not wanting to fight with the older hunter. 

“What are you… How are you surviving? Are you…”

“Drinking human blood?” Dean supplied for Bobby. “No, not since that first time. I’ve killed Bambi’s mother, though. And a couple of squirrels.” He heard Bobby’s “Ugh” and chuckled. “Beggars can’t be choosers. I won’t take a human life to sustain mine. Might as well come for me and take my head off,” he said vehemently.

“Dean, you can’t talk like that.”

“No! Bobby, I’m hungry, all the time. Animal blood… it helps, but it doesn’t quench my thirst. It doesn’t give me the strength human blood does. I was lucky to get away from Jason. And we both know how strong a vamp is after it’s fed on human blood. I won’t be like that. I can hold my own against a human, but if I have to go up against another vamp, I might not survive.”

“Then you stay off the grid. You don’t give this vamp piece of shit a reason to look for you,” Bobby responded in a stern voice. “You stay safe, you hear me? Once you make it to the cabin, you call me. Promise me!”

“I promise. And you, you keep Sam safe. Promise me,” Dean urged.

“I will. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything about hunters making their way up that far north.”

“Yeah, okay. Hey Bobby, thanks.”

“For what?” Bobby asked, perplexed by Dean’s words.

“For not turning your back on me.”

“Never. This ain’t your fault. What happened, that ain’t on you. You’re still family, you hear me?”

“Yeah, I hear you. I better get moving. I’ll call you if I have any problems and I’ll call once I get to the cabin,” Dean promised.

“See that you do,” Bobby said as he ended the call. He looked down at the phone in his hand only to notice that his hands were shaking. Slowly he scrubbed a hand down his face trying to figure out what he was going to do next. He needed to keep Dean safe. He needed to keep Dean’s secret, he just wondered what the cost would be. He also wondered how he was going to lie to Sam. That didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t like the idea of lying to Sam, but if that was the only way he could keep Sam safe, he’d do it. With a heavy sigh, he typed in the coordinates of the cabin and sent them to Dean before tossing down his phone. It would only be a matter of time before Sam showed up on his doorstep and he needed to figure things out. 


	10. Separated

“Bobby!” Sam called out as he stomped up the steps of the front porch. Bobby’s place hadn’t changed much over the years. It may have been a little more rundown, having seen better days, but he and Dean still thought of it as home and Bobby as their second father. He was about to raise his hand to pound on the door to rouse Bobby from wherever he was inside when the door was thrown open to reveal the older hunter. 

“Sam…” Bobby managed to get out before the younger hunter had him in a tight embrace. “Boy, I need to breathe.” He didn’t break Sam’s hold, knowing Sam needed the comfort at the moment.

“Dean… He’s gone. I can’t find him. He’s gone to ground. He won’t return any of my calls. What did I do?” Dean was the master at not being found if he didn’t want to be. Dean had hidden them away, from time to time when they had wanted to be alone, not wanting to deal with the world around them. He had checked the out of the way cabins they had stayed in hoping to find Dean in one of them; he hadn’t. Not knowing what else to do, he had opted for showing up on Bobby’s doorstep hoping the older man had answers to his questions. 

Bobby sighed and patted Sam’s back, letting him get all his hurt out. “Come on inside,” he said stoically as he finally pulled away to look up at Sam. He saw that Sam’s hazel eyes were filled with unshed tears and knew he was doing his best to hold them back and not break down. He ushered Sam inside, closing the door quietly behind them, and then pulled Sam into the living room and urging him to sit down.

Sam slumped down into the couch, feeling like he was breaking apart. His heart was broken, that he knew for sure. Dean was his other half and Dean was gone. He looked up Bobby, his eyes imploring for answers. He suspected that Bobby knew something about Dean; where he was, how he was, and more importantly why Dean had left him. “Does he… does he hate me? Did I do something to make him… stop loving me?” he whispered. 

With a heavy sigh, Bobby took a seat next to Sam and placed a hand on Sam’s thigh. “There ain’t nothing in this world or the next that you could do to make Dean stop loving you.” He knew of their bond, of their love and devotion to each other. He also knew the nature of their relationship having walked in on the two of them making out in the kitchen one day when they thought he had taken a run into town for supplies. Hearing muffled sounds coming from the kitchen, he had pulled out his gun, ready to kill whatever had gotten past his sigils and might be attacking the boys, only to find when he had stepped over the threshold, Sam had Dean pressed up against the refrigerator. Dean had his arms wrapped around Sam’s shoulders, his eyes were closed, his head had been tipped back and his lips were parted as a soft moan escaped them. 

For Sam’s part, he had one hand, palm down, pressed against the freezer door right by Dean’s head and the other hand slipped in between Dean’s open jeans that were precariously close to slipping off his hips, and Sam was mouthing at Dean’s neck. He stood there, mouth gaping open, too stunned at the sight before him to say anything. That was until he heard Sam’s baritone voice, “Gonna bend you over and fuck that ass of yours. Gonna make you scream my name.” He slid the gun back into the waistband of his worn jeans and cleared his throat, getting their attention. He watched as they scrambled apart, Dean quickly pulling up and fastening his jeans, neither meeting his eyes as shame and fear overtook them. 

He had simply pushed past them to move to the refrigerator. He hadn’t been as shocked as they had thought he’d be. He had long suspected their relationship was more than just brotherly, and he had just walked into the evidence that it was, seeing it firsthand. The boys were close, too close some in their circles thought and while many would find it disgusting, he had taken it in stride. After the things he had seen, the things he had killed and knew to exist out in the world, he had just grabbed a beer and started to walk out of the kitchen, only to stop and turn back to them. “I don’t care about what I just saw. Just do me a favor, keep it down.” As he turned again to leave, he heard Dean’s voice, full of fear call out to him.

“Bobby, are you gonna…”

“What? Throw you out? Kick your asses? No,” he said with a shake of his head. Turning back he saw Sam and Dean standing there, looking lost and fearful. “You boys… I suspected… You love each other, that’s one thing I know for sure. Is it… neither of you are… It’s consensual? No one’s forcing…”

Sam’s head snapped up, “What? No! No one’s forcing anyone…”

Bobby watched as Dean raised his head up to look at Sam and then him. He saw fear and hurt in those green eyes and raised his hand to stop Dean from speaking. “Just had to ask. I needed to make sure. You’re both adults and I ain’t judging you. Others might… they might not understand, but if you’re happy, then who am I to tell you not to grab a hold of what makes you happy? Like I said, just keep it down.” With that, he had walked out of the kitchen with his beer. He had never judged them and had never turned his back on them, accepting them for who they were and who they loved. They were happy, it was consensual between the two of them and they weren’t hurting anyone as far as he was concerned. He loved them unconditionally, and always would. And seeing Sam hurting like this brought out those fatherly feelings for the boys again.

“Then why Bobby?” Sam started to ask and then stopped, turning to meet the eyes of the older hunter, studying Bobby’s face, hoping to find answers to his questions. “Why did he leave me? I found one of his phones on the ground. It was broken, but he always carries a backup, we both do. Why won’t he take my calls? His phone is dead or… He got rid of it! He got rid of his phone so I couldn’t track him. Didn’t he? You know something don’t you!” Sam accused, feeling anger beginning to bubble up inside himself at the thought that Bobby knew where Dean was, or at least how to get in touch with him. “Tell me!”

“Sam…”

“Tell me what you know! You know how to get in touch with him, don’t you? Call him! Call him now!” Sam demanded. 

“Sam, he has his reasons for doing what he’s done. That’s all I know,” Bobby said wearily. It was breaking his heart to keep things from Sam. He wished he could tell him the truth. He could see how much being separated from Dean was hurting Sam. But Dean had begged him to remain silent and he had made that promise to Dean, albeit grudgingly. Still, it was a promise he couldn’t break.

Sam’s eyes widened in surprise at hearing this admission from Bobby and then he narrowed them as he studied the man sitting next to him. “That's all you know? Or is that all you’re willing to tell me?” 

“I can’t tell you anything else, Sam. There’s nothing else for me to say. You’re just gonna have to accept it for what it is. I know you don’t like it. I know you’re hurting, and I wish I could do something to stop that hurt. But there’s nothing I can do for you except let you stay here as long as you need to. This place is your home and you’re always welcome here. Now, why don’t you go upstairs, take a shower, or a nap? Both might do you some good. When you come back down, I’ll make you something to eat. Looks to me like you haven’t eaten in a bit, skipped a few meals, and haven’t been sleeping judging by the dark circles under your eyes.” 

Sam clenched his jaw in anger. He wanted to push Bobby for more information, but he knew it was useless. The man wouldn’t budge on what he knew, at least not at the moment. He’d admit defeat, for the time being, regroup and try another tactic, which hopefully would garner the information he was seeking, or at least get him closer to it if nothing else. With a nod of his head, he pulled himself up to his full height to look down on Bobby. “Yeah, sure. Guess I could use a shower and a couple of hours of sleep. Maybe afterward I’ll think about eating,” he said as he backed off, turned, and climbed the steps to the second floor, following the short hallway that led to the bedroom he and Dean had shared since they had been kids. He felt his heart skip a beat at seeing the bed; the one he had made love to Dean in, had held him close to his body in the last time they had been here. He wiped angrily at the tears in his eyes as he quietly closed the door behind himself. He wasn’t giving up, not yet. He was determined to find Dean. He’d get to the bottom of things if it killed him. 

Bobby watched as Sam climbed the stairs leading upstairs and to the room, he and Dean shared whenever they stayed with him. He knew it would be like a knife to the boy’s heart, but Sam would also be able to wrap himself up in memories of Dean. He waited until he was sure Sam was settled in, not hearing him move around above his head before he quietly made his way outside to make a much-needed phone call. He didn’t want Sam to overhear him. Taking a few steps off the porch, he made his way down one of the seemingly never-ending rows of junk cars until he felt he was safe from any possible eavesdropping. Fishing his phone out of his front pocket he looked at it for a moment before hitting the speed dial. Bringing the phone to his ear, he listened, waiting anxiously as the line rang. He heard a rough sounding voice answer his call and felt his heart clench at the sound. “Dean, it’s Bobby.”

Swallowing, Dean forced himself to answer the call when his phone rang. He knew it had to be important for Bobby to be calling him. They were keeping in contact, more for Bobby to let him know how Sam was doing and if there were any hunters in the area that might be a threat to him. “Bobby,” said into the phone and winced at the sandpaper sound of his own voice. Since leaving and going to ground, he was doing his best to stay off the grid, living in isolation in a cabin as far from civilization as he could get. There was no running water or electricity without the generator, which he barely used, not wanting to draw too much attention to his presence. He only used it long enough to charge his cellphone so he could keep in touch with Bobby. There was a fireplace he could use to not only light the place but warm it up as well if he needed it. He no longer felt the cold and his eyesight was spot on, even in the dark. But each day he would light a fire in the hearth, letting it burn for a few hours during the day before letting it die. He chopped wood every few days, adding it to the pile that someone, most likely another hunter, had stockpiled. Since losing his phone in the scuffle when Jason had kidnapped him, he had picked up a burner phone, one Sam had no knowledge of and wouldn’t be able to track. That knowledge made him feel safe that Sam would be kept in the dark and safe from being harmed by Jason. He couldn’t let Sam be hurt. He had left Sam the Impala, hoping Sam would remember the times they spent in the car with fondness. He had purchased a beat-up truck to take him as away from those he loved as he could get. He still tried to have some semblance of the human life he had lived before he had been turned into one of the creatures he and Sam killed. 

Once Dean had been turned and had fled, managing to get away from the vampire that had done this to him, he had been overcome with hunger. He had brought down a doe with his strength and bare hands, ripping into its flesh to drink his fill of its blood. That had been his first kill, but he could still remember it like it had just happened; the sound of the panicked animal as he ran it down, the shrill shriek and snorts of pain as he slashed at its neck in his attempt to tear into its flesh, his frenzy only heightened by the metallic smell of its blood, the feeling of his teeth sinking into fur and flesh and muscle as he drank his fill. He heard the thundering heartbeats weakening to mere flutters until the animal’s heart stopped pumping the blood he so desperately wanted. How his pale, almost translucent skin was stained red with the animal’s lifeblood. How he had licked his lips clean, savoring the tinny taste of the blood on them and his tongue. Then as he came down from his blood induced high, how he had stared in horror at the carcass. How he had scrambled away from it when his mind registered what he was kneeling next to; the animal that he had killed. How his stomach has roiled as he was flooded with disgust for his actions. He had expected that he would soon be retching, vomiting up the blood he had consumed, but he hadn’t. His body had needed it in order to survive. And then he had realized that there was no going back to his old life. He was no longer a hunter, he was a fallen man. 

Now, when he hunted, he did his best to keep his blood-lust in check. He had vowed after his first kill that he would never be that animalistic again. He could never give in to his darker impulses to toy with what sustained him. He would give the animal he brought down its dignity. He would never again slash and rip at the animal’s flesh. He made his kills as quickly and painlessly as possible. He wouldn’t let the animal’s death be in vain. He showed care to the animal’s body, unlike that first time where he had cleaned himself up and walked away, leaving the doe’s body to rot. Now, he drained the animal’s blood, saving it for his future feedings so he sated his appetite. He stripped the meat, tanned the hides, and sold them in order to survive as best he could. And since that first time when he had been forced to drink human blood, he had never touched another drop. He would rather have Bobby or another hunter put him down than ever feed on another human being. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Dean cleared his throat. “Bobby,” he repeated. “What is it? Is it Sam? Is he okay?”

Bobby heard the love and concern in Dean’s voice and it tugged at his heart. “No, well, yeah, physically Sam’s alright. He showed up here today. The kid’s a mess. He misses you something fierce. I’m worried about him.”

If his heart still beat, Dean knew it would be slamming in his rib cage. But it didn’t. That was one reason why he had made the decision to leave Sam. He had broken all contact with his brother, his other half, and it had nearly destroyed him. Sam was his entire world, and also a temptation. Vampires mated for life and he knew Sam was his mate. Every day he fought the desire to pack up and make his way back to Sam. He wanted to hear Sam’s rich voice, see those hazel eyes, and those dimples when Sam smiled at him. He longed to be in Sam’s arms, to feel Sam’s hands on his body, to feel Sam inside him, making love to him. He longed for so much, for things he could never have again. He could never allow himself to see Sam again. He wouldn’t let himself give into temptation. Because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself, he knew he would turn Sam into what he was, and he couldn’t do that to Sam. He wouldn’t bring down that death sentence on the man he loved. He’d rather let some hunter out to make their bones deliver a killing blow to him before he ever subjected Sam to the nonexistent he was living with now. 

“But he’s okay,” Dean breathed out. “Tell me he’s okay.”

“He’s hurting, Dean. He thinks he did something to push you away. He thinks you hate him. He’s missing you, and he’s broken.” Bobby dragged his free hand down his face, stopping to rub at the stubble on his chin. “Why keep this secret? Why not just tell him. Then he can make an informed decision on what he wants…”

“No!” Dean barked into the phone and then muttered an apology. “Sorry, look, this is for the best. Sam… He can’t know, not ever. I can’t have him look at me like I’m disgusting. I can’t have him put in the position of doing the right thing. I can’t… What if he has to choose between saving some innocent from being hurt or putting me down?”

“Dean… You know that would never happen. You’re taking precautions. You’re surviving off animal blood.”

“Yeah, but what if I go rabid? What if the thirst gets to be too much? What if I can’t stop myself from wanting to drink from a human?” Dean rubbed at the back of his neck; a habit he had developed when he had been human. “I can’t take that chance. I can’t do that to Sam.”

“That boy’s stronger than you think,” Bobby started to say, wanting to beg Dean to see reason. “Dean, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“No, no I’m not,” Dean assured the older hunter. “It’s a struggle every day. That’s why I’m here, as far away from Sam, from you, from humans as I can get. It’s for everyone’s protection.”

“Dean, you’ve held off this long.”

“No!” Dean yelled into the phone. “No,” he said in a softer tone when he heard Bobby’s startled breath, knowing he had taken the man by surprise with his outburst. “No, it’s not safe for anyone if I’m around people. Sam’s not safe. Not from me. Not from the bastard that did this to me.” 

“Dean, Sam’s in danger every day. Every day he’s separated from you he becomes more desperate, more reckless.”

“That’s why you need to make sure he stops looking for me. Tell him I’m dead.” Dean barked out a laugh. “I am anyway, so it’s not like you’d be telling him a lie. Tell him you heard from some hunters; they saw my body, that they gave me a hunter’s funeral. He’ll stop looking for me. He can move on, have a chance at a real life.”

“Dean, he ain’t gonna buy that. You know it as much as I do. He’s gonna want to know who the hunters are. He’s gonna want to talk to them, see where they burned your body. He’s not gonna stop until he gets answers. He’s not gonna stop until he finds you, and you know it.” 

“You need to stop him,” Dean pleaded. “Please, Bobby, do this for him. Not me, but for him.”

“I’ll do what I can, even though I think you’re being an idjit. This is horse shit, and you know it,” Bobby said sternly, although he knew he’d never be able to change Dean’s mind once he had made it up over something.

“Thanks, Bobby.”

“Do you need anything?”

“What, are you gonna send me a vampire care package? What would that even consist of? Freeze-dried animal blood?” Dean quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Bobby rolled his eyes. “No, you idjit, but that ain’t a bad idea. You may be on to something. Could be my next business venture. I’ll have to look into that.”

“I was joking,” Dean said hotly and then pursed his lips together when he heard Bobby’s laughter. 

“You’ll call me if you need anything?” Bobby asked, turning serious again. He feared for Dean’s safety. Even if he didn’t come right out and say it, he thought of Dean and Sam as the sons he never had. They weren’t blood, but they were still family. 

“Yeah, of course. You’ll call me… about Sam? Keep me up-to-date? And about any hunters you hear making their way up to my area?” Dean bit his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth. 

“Yeah, I will. You stay safe,” Bobby said with a hitch to his voice.

“You, too,” Dean commented before ending the phone call. He looked wistfully at his phone before turning it off and shoving it into his pocket. 


	11. Unreachable

Bobby tried Dean’s cell phone again. He had called two days before and Dean hadn’t answered which he had dismissed at the time figuring Dean was busy with whatever he did to occupy his time. He had left a message for Dean to call him, but Dean hadn’t returned his call, which wasn’t like him. He had called to let Dean know there would be a few hunters traveling close to the cabin he was staying in. Now, Dean’s phone wasn’t picking up at all. He sat at his desk, elbow on the desktop as he rubbed at his forehead trying to decide on what to do. He hadn’t heard of any vampire attacks up where Dean was; Dean was careful about covering his tracks, only killing animals and surviving off of their blood. He had never tasted human blood, not after that damn bastard had forced him into the life Dean now lived. He had spoken to the hunters; whatever their trip was about, they hadn’t mentioned capturing or killing a vampire, but it didn't sit well with him that he still hadn’t heard from Dean. Picking up his phone, he dialed Dean’s number again, hoping it rang this time and that Dean picked up. Again his call went unanswered. 

Leaning back in his chair he thought about what to do next. If he called in one of the other hunters, he ran the risk of exposing Dean’s whereabouts. If Dean felt threatened, there was no telling what could happen. He could see the hunters being there in an attempt to take him out and go on the attack. Even if Dean didn’t feel threatened, the hunters might figure out he wasn’t human anymore and attack him, trying to kill him. He was pretty sure no matter what, Dean would be able to survive that, but again, Dean would be compelled to protect himself, most likely resulting in the hunters’ deaths. If he left to check on Dean himself, he had a feeling that Sam would follow him. The kid was whip-smart and already suspected that not only did he know where Dean was, that he had been in contact with him. “Balls!” he grumped out as he pushed himself away from his desk, stood up, and went to find Sam. “Sam, where you at?” he called as he started to search for the younger man, finding him sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop open in front of him. 

Hearing his name, Sam looked up as Bobby entered the kitchen. He closed his laptop as Bobby approached him, not wanting him to see what he was working on; another attempt at finding Dean. He didn’t miss the raised eyebrow that Bobby shot him, but chose to ignore it. “What’s up, Bobby?” 

“Maybe nothing,” Bobby admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. “Or, it could be something.” He watched as Sam screwed his face up in confusion and he heaved a heavy sigh. “Now don’t go getting all mad at me,” he started to say and then stopped when Sam narrowed his hazel eyes at him, setting his jaw firmly. “I’ve been trying Dean’s phone for a couple of days, and he ain’t been answering.”

“What?!” Sam exploded in anger. “You had a way to get in touch with him and you kept that from me?” Sam started to rise from the chair, ready to take a swing at the older man but stopped when Bobby placed his hands on his shoulders and forced him back down into the chair.

“I had my reasons… Dean had his reasons for keeping things from you… Seems stupid now,” Bobby admitted in a regretful tone.

“What? What was this reason?” Sam demanded angrily.

“If you sit there and shut up, I’ll tell you!” Bobby yelled, making sure that Sam knew he was skating on thin ice with him.

Sam slumped down in his chair, anger coursing through his body from the betrayal he was feeling. “Fine, talk.” Even to his own ears, he sounded like a petulant child, but he couldn’t help himself. He felt anger and betrayal warring within himself as he waited for Bobby to speak. 

“You watch your tone with me, Sam.” He took a moment to stare Sam down with an icy glare before pulling out the chair across from Sam and wearily sitting down in it. As he thought about how to tell Sam the truth, he suddenly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders and wondered if he was getting too old for the life he was living. Hearing Sam’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

“Bobby?” Sam questioned in a concerned tone when Bobby sat down, but remained silent.

“This ain’t gonna be easy for you to hear…” Bobby started to say, raising his eyes up to meet Sam’s. “The reason… the reason why Dean left…” He leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his hands down his face. “I don’t even know how to start.”

“Is he sick?” Sam asked, feeling lightheaded as he said the words. “Is that why he left?”

“Dean… he got turned,” Bobby blurted out, feeling it was best to just rip the bandage off rather than dance around the issue.

“What? What did you say?” Sam asked, still trying to process what Bobby had just told him. “How? Who? Why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t you?” He gave Bobby a pained look as he tried to reconcile what he was feeling; hurt, anger, betrayal, and sadness were all warring inside him at the moment.

“He swore me to secrecy. He was trying to keep you safe. The bastard who did this to him, turned him into a vampire, did it against his will. Dean was only doing what he thought was right.” Seeing that Sam was about to protest, Bobby raised his hand. “I didn’t agree with it. I wanted to tell you. I wanted him to tell you. But he can be a stubborn son of a bitch. Hell, you both can be. You got that trait from your father. I’m not saying what he did was right, but he did it because he loves you and he couldn’t handle the idea of you getting caught up in all this.”

“He still could have told me. He didn’t have to leave. We could have fought this together. I could have helped him…” Sam looked at Bobby and felt his anger dwindling. He saw the pained look on Bobby’s face. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Bobby looked away from Sam. He had no idea how to tell Sam the real reason why Dean left, why Dean had decided to cut his ties with Sam. “He was afraid.”

“Of me?” Sam hurried to ask. “Why? Did he think I’d take him out? I love him! I’d never…”

“No! No, he never thought that, not about you. Other hunters, yeah, but never about you.”

“We could handle any of the hunters together. If anyone came for him. I would do anything to keep him safe,” Sam said vehemently.

Bobby looked back at Sam and saw such conviction on his face. “That’s what he was afraid of. That’s why he left. He never meant to hurt you. Dean… Dean did this out of his love for you.”

“But why?”

“His sire… He turned Dean because he has this crazy idea that Dean’s his. That they’re meant to be together. He threatened to kill you. That’s why Dean left.”

Sam opened his mouth to say something only to snap it closed again. Bringing up his hands to his head, he ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to make sense of everything he had just learned. Finally, he broke the growing silence between them. “Why now? Why tell me now?” he demanded.

“I’ve been calling him. There were hunters headed his way. I can’t get a hold of him.” As Bobby said those words, he watched the color drain from Sam’s face. 

“These hunters…”

“I’ve talked to them since and they never said anything about finding a vampire or killing one. They never mentioned Dean or the cabin he’s staying in.” Bobby sighed heavily; no matter what had happened, he still looked at Sam and Dean as the sons he had never had. 

“But you think something could have happened,” Sam whispered. It felt like the room was spinning and he was going to pass out. He shook himself out of it, forcing himself to think clearly. “It’s not the first time a hunter’s gone rogue. But Dean’s smart. He knows how to protect himself.”

“Yeah, he does. I just don’t like not getting him on the phone,” Bobby admitted. “Just don't sit right with me is all. Even if he doesn’t answer my call right away, he’s always called back, and he hasn’t.” 

“Where is he? Where’s this cabin?”

“It’s a little place called Pembina, North Dakota; up north, right by the Canadian border. It was the safest place I could think of. Used to be a hunter’s retreat, but it hadn’t been used in years by anyone but me.” Bobby explained. “Figured Dean could go up there, wait things out and then come back when he was ready. Been working on a way to find his sire, kill him, and maybe see what I could do for Dean. He’s surviving on animal blood, whatever he can kill. He field strips the carcasses of any large animals and sells the meat and hides in town. He doesn’t go into town very often. Trying to stay off the grid as much as possible. He doesn’t want to draw attention to himself.”

Sam started to push himself away from the table, ready to stand as the adrenaline coursed through his body. What he had been searching for had just been handed to him. Dean was alive; well that term was relative. He needed to get to Dean. There was so much he needed to say to him. He loved him, he didn’t care that Dean had been turned. He would fight alongside Dean if hunters came for him. It was them against the world. Dean was his world and he was lost without him. Every day he ached to see him. He needed to hear Dean’s voice, he needed to touch him. Nothing else mattered but finding Dean and being with him. He’d give up everything for Dean. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

Bobby grabbed Sam’s wrist, pulling him back down. “It’s not that simple. We have no way of knowing if he’s still at the cabin. He could have left.”

Sam nodded his head in understanding as he sat back down. Bobby had brought up some valid points. “I can do a locator spell, see if he’s still there. Maybe something happened to his phone. Maybe he dropped it.” A thousand scenarios were running through Sam’s head. None of which were any good. Every one of them had Dean in danger and he just knew he needed to find Dean and get to him. 

“Hell, Sam, that just might work,” Bobby agreed with a nod of his head. 

“I came across a simple one in a book you had the last time we stayed with you. It doesn’t take much to perform it.” Sam pushed himself up from his chair and disappeared from the kitchen, walking into the living room, followed closely by Bobby as he stood looking at the built-in bookshelves. He cocked his head to the side as he scanned the shelves, reading title after title until he reached out and grabbed a slim leather-bound book from the middle shelf closest to him. “Here it is,” he declared triumphantly as he held the book in his hands. Opening it, he skimmed the contents and then began to leaf through the pages until he found the spell he had been searching for. 

“Boy, you’re getting as good as me at knowing what book to look for,” Bobby grumbled with just a hint of pride in his voice as he looked over at Sam. 

Sam nodded in response to Bobby as he read over the spell. “We don’t need much; salt for a salt circle, white candles, a map, a knife, and some of my blood.” At the last word he looked up at Bobby, wondering if the older hunter would try to put a stop to his attempt at casting the spell. To his relief, Bobby didn’t. “Then I’ve just got to say the spell, and hope that it works.” 

“Hell, Sam, I probably have everything you need to perform the spell in the kitchen.” He saw the dubious look on Sam’s face. “What? Did you honestly think I‘d try to stop you? Seems to me, this is our only shot, unless by some miracle Dean picks up the phone and calls me back.” Bobby turned and started to walk into the kitchen. “How much blood are we talking about and are you sure it has to be your blood?” he questioned as he began to gather the items needed for the spell.

Sam looked down at the book still in his hands. “Yeah, it has to be the blood of the one casting the spell.” He ran his finger over the worn page as he reread the spell. Looking up, he met Bobby’s eyes as Bobby appeared in the doorway, arms ladened with the spell components. “Not a lot. Guess I just gotta prick my finger. Let a few drops of blood fall onto the map and hope it works.” He shrugged his shoulders as he closed the book. 

“Well, let’s do this then.” Placing the items down on his desk, Bobby looked things over, making sure he had everything Sam had listed. “The map,” he muttered as he turned his attention back to one of the bookcases, his fingers running over the books and papers that had been crammed into it. “There you are,” he murmured as he pulled out a large folded piece of yellowed paper. “You’re gonna need this.” Handing Sam the map, he motioned for Sam to stand in the middle of the room and watched as Sam unfolded the map and sat down next to it. “Comfy?” Not waiting for Sam to answer him, he picked up the large box of salt and began pouring a circle around Sam and the map. With that done, he placed six white chunky candles around the outside of the salt circle and then handed Sam a small knife. “You’ll need this, too.” 

“Thanks,” Sam acknowledged with a shake of his head as he accepted the knife. “Once you light the candles, I’ll recite the spell and cut my finger. After that,” he gave a shrug of his shoulders, “guess we’ll see if we can locate Dean.”

Bobby grunted in response and set about lighting the candles. As he lit the last one, he carefully stepped back, watching silently as Sam performed the spell. 

“I seek that which has been hidden from me.

“Flesh of my flesh.”

“Blood of my blood.”

“Reveal to me what has been lost.”

After reciting the words of the spell, Sam picked up the small knife in his right hand and brought the tip of the blade to his left, nicking the tip of his middle finger. Leaning over the map, he left his blood drip onto the middle of it, watching as drop after drop hit the paper with a soft splat until the blood started to coagulate. Mesmerized, he watched as the blood droplets merged together and then migrated from where they had splattered on the map, forming one large pulsating drop that moved along the map, not stopping until it reached Pembina, Wyoming. He sucked in a startled breath as he stared at the blood as it began to seep into the map, staining it red with his blood. “Dean…” he breathed out in awe.

“Well I’ll be damned, it worked.”

Sam pulled his eyes off the stained area of the map to meet bobby’s eyes. “Bobby?”

“That’s the town the cabin’s in where Dean’s been living. So, he’s still in the area.”

Sam quickly blew out the candles, stood, and broke the salt circle in his haste to get moving. “Then that’s where I’m heading,” he stated as he stepped out of the circle and disappeared from the room, taking the stairs which led to the second floor, and the room he was staying in, two at a time. He quickly gathered his belongings and started for the front door when Bobby appeared before him, placing a hand on his chest to hold him back. “Bobby, you need to move, now,” he growled.

“Now just hold on a minute, would you!” Bobby bellowed. “You have no idea where the cabin is. What, you’re just gonna take off, drive to Pembina, and hope you find Dean? You planning on knocking on doors until you stumble on him?”

“I…” Sam trailed off realizing Bobby was right, he had no idea where the cabin was located. He shifted his duffle bag on his shoulder as he shuffled his feet. “I gotta find him, Bobby. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Boy, you got any sense in that noggin of yours? Did you hit your head or something? I told you I was the one who sent him up to the cabin. Don’t you think you should ask me where it is? Or do you think I’ve gone senile?” Bobby grumbled.

Sam looked down at his feet. “Sorry. Guess I wasn’t thinking too clearly,” he admitted. 

“Here,” Bobby huffed as he shoved a folded piece of paper at Sam. He saw the questioning look on Sam’s face. “It’s the coordinates to the cabin.”

“Thanks, Bobby.” Before he could say anything else, Sam found himself being hugged by the older man. 

“You be careful. Don’t go running off half-cocked. Take care of yourself and you bring Dean home,” Bobby murmured as he broke the hug and then pushed Sam out the front door. “You call me when you get there, when you’re with Dean.” He stood on the porch watching Sam as he made his way to the Impala, tossed his duffle bag onto the back seat, and gave him a wave before getting into the car and driving off. He didn’t walk back into the until Sam had disappeared from his sight. Grabbing his phone, he dialed Dean’s number again, hoping that Dean would pick up. He felt his heart sink to his stomach when his call went to voicemail again. “Dean, it’s Bobby. Look, be mad at me all you want, but since you’re not picking up or returning my calls, I spilled the beans to Sam. He’s on his way to the cabin. Don’t do anything stupid like packing up and disappearing. He don’t care that you got turned. He loves you, and that’s a rare thing in this messed up world. You two belong together. Take care of each other.” With a heavy sigh, he ended the call. All he could do now was wait until he heard from one of them. He just hoped that when he did, it was good news. 


	12. Persuasion

“You sure you’re not available? My granddaughter, she’s a pretty little thing and she can cook…”

Dean chuckled as he pocketed the cash Mrs. Palmer had just handed him for the hides and deer meat he had just sold her. “Sorry to disappoint you… I’m sure your granddaughter is a lovely girl, but I’m… Well, it’s complicated and best that I don’t get too involved with anyone,” he explained, trying not to hurt the older woman’s feelings or to go more in-depth than he wanted to. Just how did one go about explaining the life he was now living? Sorry, I can’t date your granddaughter because I might drain her dry of all her blood? Did I mention that I’m a vampire and that some lunatic, the one who turned me, is probably looking for me? Not to mention that I’m in love with someone, who happens to be a man, and is also my brother? Yeah, there wasn’t an easy way to tell anyone that. And if he did, they’d probably have him committed, which also wouldn’t bode well for anyone involved. 

“Well, if you change your mind…” Mrs. Palmer called after him as he turned and made his way out of Palmer’s Country Store. Since he had been living here in Pembina, he had been able to strike a deal with the Palmers. They’d buy the hides he tanned and the meat he smoked for a far price. He didn’t need a lot of money to get by. He didn’t use the money to buy food, just gas for his truck and the generator, and his supplies needed for tanning and smoking of whatever he brought down. It was a simple life, one he was slowly getting used to. He still woke each day with a hole in his dead, non-beating heart; one that he knew he’d never be able to fill. The only way he could ever do that was to seek Sam out, and he would never allow himself to do that. According to Bobby, Sam was safe and that was the most important thing to him. In time, Sam would stop looking for him and move on. Sam could finally have the life he deserved; maybe go back to college, get that Law degree he’d wanted before… No, he forced himself to tamp down his thoughts. There was no point in dredging things up, things he couldn’t have. He was better off alone, even if all he wanted was to be in Sam’s arms again. He physically shook himself as he walked out of the store and into what seemed to be an unyielding brick wall. Looking up, his mouth opened in shock as he stared at the man who he had walked into. He turned quickly in an attempt to get away from the man, flinching when he heard the man speak to him.

“Hello, beloved,” Jason said as he grabbed Dean by the shoulder and forced him to turn around in order to face him.

Dean stood there, rooted to the spot as he looked into Jason’s cold, dead eyes. One of his worst fears had come to fruition; Jason had found him. “How… how did you find me?” he managed to croak out.

“You’re mine, I’ll always come for you. It’s time for you to come home.”

“No,” Dean responded defiantly.

Jason gave Dean a wide smile. “Dean, you act as if you have a choice in the matter. You’re mine. I’ll never let you go. 

Dean managed to pull away from Jason, taking a step back from him. “Then you might as well kill me because there’s no way in hell I’m coming with you. I don’t belong to you,” he spat out. He turned and started for his truck in an attempt to get away from Jason. He wasn’t sure if Jason would attack him out in the open or if Jason would attack innocent bystanders in an attempt to force his hand, but he knew he had to get away from Jason and keep anyone in the store and parking lot safe. 

Jason smirked as he watched Dean’s feeble attempt at walking away from him. Dean was his mate and there was no way he was going to let Dean leave him again. He hadn’t seen it coming the first time Dean had bolted from him, but he was going to make sure Dean knew his place, and that was by his side. He waited for Dean to make it to his truck before he struck; coming up behind Dean, grabbing him by the back of his neck, and slamming his head into the solid metal frame, knocking Dean unconscious. Without much effort, he lifted Dean’s body into the cab of the truck, maneuvering Dean until he was in the passenger’s seat while he was in the driver’s seat before jamming the key into the ignition and driving them back to the cabin where he had tracked Dean. He glanced over a Dean several times during the drive to make sure Sean was still unconscious. He had a plan in mind and he didn’t want Dean waking up until he had everything in place.

Dean huffed as he slowly came to. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was blinding light and he quickly closed his eyes again, letting his head fall so his chin was resting against his chest. Before he could make sense of what was going on around him he heard movement, and then a male voice speaking to him.

“Oh, good, you’re awake.” Jason stepped in front of Dean as Dean stirred. Running his fingers softly across Dean’s jaw as Dean lifted his head to glare at him. “Oh, don’t look so distraught. You’ll be fine… in time. But as I said to you prior to you running from me, if you disobeyed me, I would be forced to punish you.”

Dean watched as Jason stepped away from him, giving him time to figure out where he was. Looking around, he noticed they were in his cabin, and that he had been tied up; hands arms had been raised above his head by a long rope binding his wrists together. The rope had been thrown over the middle ceiling beam and secured out of his reach. Looking at his arms, he noticed they were bare. Since he no longer felt the effect of heat or cold on his skin, he hadn’t noticed that he had been stripped of everything but his boxer briefs. The way he had been tied up left him barely touching the floor of the cabin. “What are… Why aren’t I wearing clothes? What the hell do you want from me?”

“Just for you to learn your place.” 

“And I have to be in my underwear for that?” Dean snarked, despite the situation he found himself in. 

Jason gave a throaty chuckle as he circled Dean. “Well, I don’t want your clothes to be ruined. Plus, it’s nice to finally see what you’ve need hiding under all those layers of clothing you wear.” Jason cocked his head to the side. “I have to say, I’m pleasantly pleased with what I see; pale, nearly translucent skin which makes your freckles pop, and well-defined muscles.” He stepped closer, reaching out to touch Dean, running his fingers down Dean’s chest.

Dean jerked away from Jason’s touch. “Don’t,” he hissed. “So, is this the part where you kill me? Because if it is, just get on with it already.” He stared definitely into Jason’s eyes only to have Jason shake his head and walk out of his line of sight.

“Why do you wish for death? This is just a minor infraction on your part.”

Jason’s voice wafted from somewhere behind Dean. Without being able to rest his weight on his feet, Dean was unable to turn himself around to see what Jason was doing or where he was. While he had superior strength now, he was beginning to feel the pull of his muscles as his wrists supported most of his body weight. He tried yanking on the rope hoping to free himself. He only managed to chafe the tender skiing on his wrists, and he hissed in frustration. “Let me go!” he demanded.

“Sorry, beloved, but I can’t do that. You need to learn your lesson. Nothing drastic, but it will be painful for you. Once I break you of your will, I’ll put you back together to my liking.”

Dean gave a sarcastic chuckle. “Do your best, but I’m never going to be yours!”

“Maybe some bloodletting will help you to realize who you belong to,” Jason whispered into Dean’s ear. 

Dean felt his body reacting to Jason’s words; he felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and had those words been able to affect him the way they would have if he was human, he knew he’d be shuddering in disgust. Despite being a vampire now and not needing to eat human food, his body still reacted to stimuli the way it had when he was still human; he felt emotions, all of them: anger, loneliness, joy, and sorrow, just in a heightened state. At times he was amazed by that. All he had to do was think about Sam and he felt himself becoming aroused. He felt his body being overloaded with the love and longing he felt for Sam. When he thought about Jason and what that monster had done to him, he felt himself becoming overwhelmed with uncontrollable anger. He would feel his body becoming tense with his built-up rage and knew he had to stay in seclusion for fear of losing control and harming those he might come in contact with. He felt a tender kiss on the nape of his neck and he tried to pull away from the kiss. He jerked his shoulder away from Jason when Jason laid a hand on him.

“Such fine muscles. You have such a nice strong, broad back. It’ll be a shame to see it marred by what I’m about to do to you. But you will heal, in time.” Jason stepped back from Dean, raised his right hand, and brought it down across the expanse of Dean’s exposed back, slashing Dean’s skin with a knife he had taken from the silverware drawer. “That’s one,” he murmured. “I think I’ll give you a slash for each day you were gone from my side.”

Dean felt the pain, his mind registering what was happening to his body as he jerked in his bonds trying to get away from the man inflicting the pain on him. His lips parted and he grunted as he felt the knife slashing his back again. He tensed, waiting for the next cut to be made, and cried out when the blade connected with his flesh. He felt himself sag as he was cut again and grabbed onto the rope, pulling himself upright. He did his best not to scream from the pain, but after the fifteenth time he had been cut, he lost that battle and howled in pain. 

Jason reached out and ran his fingertips through the blood dripping down Dean’s back from the cuts he had made. Pulling his hand away, he looked down at his fingers before raising them to his lips. “You still taste just as sweet as the first time I drank from you. Although, I do detect the hint of animal blood mixed in there now. Pity really. Had you partaken of human blood, you’d be healing much faster. Maybe this will serve as a reminder to you to not only stay where you belong but to follow my word.” Walking away, he tossed the knife down onto the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down, placing his feet on the table and crossing them at the ankles as he leaned back in the chair to observe Dean as he hung there in his weakened state. “We have all the time in the word, just remember that.” Picking up the knife again, he licked the blood from the blade and then pointed the tip at Dean. “And, remember, you brought this on yourself.” He emphasized his words by slamming the knife down, embedding the tip of the knife in the wooden tabletop. 

Dean raised his head up to meet Jason’s gaze. “Why… why not just kill me? Why do this?” he gasped out before his strength gave out and he sagged in his bonds, letting his head fall forward so his chin rested against his chest. He had no idea how long he had been hanging there; Jason had done his best to draw out what had already been done to him. But he was feeling the effects; his arms and shoulders were screaming in pain from supporting his weight and his wrist had been scraped raw from his attempts to free himself from the rope. His back was on fire from the cuts Jason had inflicted on him and he was tired. He also was badly in need of blood in order to heal and he knew Jason wasn’t going to allow him to feed any time soon. 

“We’ve been through this, Dean. You’re my mate and I’m not willing to give up on you. You’re newly turned. You’re confused and need time to come to terms with everything. If that means I need to teach you this by torturing you, then I’m more than happy to do that for you. When this is over and you’ve accepted your place, you’ll thank me in the end,” Jason assured Dean. Now, he would give Dean time to reflect on his words and the predicament he found himself in; one that was Dean’s own doing as far as he was concerned. The ringing of Dean’s phone cut through his thoughts. Reaching for it, he picked it up to see a name flash across the screen. “Who’s Bobby? A friend or family member perhaps? Makes no difference because you won’t be returning his call,” he assured Dean as he gripped the phone, crushing it in his hand before tossing down the broken pieces down onto the table.

As the days dragged on, Dean felt like not only was his strength waning, but so was his will to remain strong. Every day Jason plucked the knife from the table and started slashing at him, adding more slashes for each day he hung there refusing to break. 

Standing in front of Dean, and grabbing onto Dean’s hair, Jason forced Dean’s head up so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “Dean, this is pointless. Why must you continue to fight me? We’ve been at this for days. All you’ve managed to do is lose a substantial amount of blood. You’re weak, too weak to even heal now. Just give in to me. I’ll feed you. I’ll take care of you. Besides, you should know by now that I’m only going to win in the end.”

“Scr… screw you,” Dean gasped out and then tried to jerk himself out of Jason’s hold. 

“Still so defiant.” Jason let go of his hold on Dean and backed away. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up an appetite. Of course, there’s no way I’ll drink the animal blood you’ve kept on hand.” He clapped his hand together, causing Dean to flinch. “I think I’ll take a little drive, maybe get some takeout. That little store looked promising. I’m sure I can find someone there to satisfy my hunger.” Walking toward the door, he glanced over his shoulder at Dean. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back soon,” he explained as he opened the door to the cabin and disappeared outside.

Dean gave a sigh of relief as he sagged in his bonds, putting more pressure on his already exhausted arms. At least he had a small reprieve from having Jason in the cabin. He let his mind wander, thinking of better times, letting himself think of Sam.


	13. Reunited

Sam pulled the Impala up to the cabin, letting the engine idle as he sat there, surveying his surroundings. The cabin looked abandoned, but he knew looks could be deceiving. As he debated on what to do, wait for Dean to appear, or just go inside and wait for Dean, he grabbed his cellphone and brought up Bobby’s number. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, he listened to the ringing of the line, waiting for his call to be answered.

“Sam?” Bobby asked in a tired voice.

“Yeah, Bobby, it’s me. I’m here, just pulled up outside the cabin. It looks abandoned, but the woodpile by the side of the cabin is well stocked and it looks like someone’s been maintaining it.”

“Have you seen Dean, yet? Any sign of him?”

“No, nothing. I’m just about to head inside, see what’s what. I figured I’d let you know I made it here.”

“Well, you be careful and call me when you see Dean. I still haven’t heard from him.”

“Yeah, I will,” Sam confirmed as he ended the call and shouldered open the door of the Impala. Getting out, he stood there a moment, assessing the situation before he made his way to the front door. He felt his heart hammering in his chest as he stood there. He was so close to Dean that he could feel it. And while he couldn’t wait to set his eyes on Dean, he wasn’t sure how Dean would react to his presence. Reaching out, he rapped on the door. “Dean?” he called out. When he didn’t receive an answer, he knocked again. After the third attempt, he gave up on knocking and tried the door. Finding it unlocked, he pushed the door open, giving his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light of the cabin’s interior. “Dean?” he called out and was met with what sounded like Dean’s voice.

When the door to the cabin opened, letting in some light, Dean tried to raise his head. He thought he heard Sam’s voice calling to him, but that had to be his imagination. There was no way Sam was there. Sam had no idea where he was. “Please,” he muttered in a hoarse voice as a large male figure appeared in the doorway.

Stepping inside the cabin, Sam saw a man, suspended by his wrists, hanging from a beam in the middle of the main room. When the man raised his head, it felt like his heart had stopped beating. “Dean!” he yelled and then moved into action, closing and locking the door for protection before running to Dean’s aid. 

“Sa… Sam?” Dean gasped out as he tried to raise his head, attempting to muster up what strength he had to stand. “Wha… what are you doing here? How did you… how did you find me?” he managed to ask before his strength gave out and he sagged again in his bonds. 

“Dean… What the hell happened? Who did this to you?” Sam demanded as he looked around the cabin. Seeing that there wasn’t anyone else around, he took a moment to look Dean over. He winced at the damage done to Dean’s back and then felt his anger rise when he noticed the evidence of torture Dean had endured. Judging by the cuts on Dean’s back, the state of healing some were in, and how fresh others were, whoever had done this to Dean had been doing it over a matter of days. “Okay, I’m gonna get you down from here,” he murmured and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on Dean’s arm. He sucked in a startled breath when Dean jerked away from him.

Dean felt the touch to his arm and did his best to move away from it. “You’re… you’re not Sam.” His mind had to be playing tricks on him was all he thought upon hearing Sam’s voice, feeling Sam’s touch on his body, or seeing Sam. He had been starved and tortured by Jason for days, hallucinating Sam, that was the only way his mind could handle the pain he was in. “Just… just kill me. I’ll never… I’ll never be yours.”

Dean’s words caught Sam off-guard. “Dean, it’s me, Sam.” He watched as Dean struggled to raise his head up to look at him and saw that Dean was barely coherent; unseeing green eyes staring back at him. “When was the last time you fed?”

Dean gave a harsh laugh. “Like you… care. Days… You’ve kept me tied up for days. Starved me… Cut me… and now you’re concerned about when I last fed?” 

“Okay, I’m gonna cut you down, just give me a minute,” Sam murmured as he looked around for something to use to cut the rope away from Dean’s wrists. He noticed the knife embedded in the table but quickly dismissed it in favor of searching for another knife. The feeling of dread when he looked at the knife told him that it had been used on Dean to inflict his injuries and there was no way he was touching that knife. Searching and finding a knife he could use, he turned back to Dean and stopped, he felt his knees weaken at seeing that Dean was just hanging there, not breathing. It took a moment for his mind to register what he was looking at and he had to remind himself that Dean wasn’t human and while he looked human, could pass for human, Dean was really a vampire. But Dean was not only his brother, Dean was his lover; the love of his life, and also the man he would give his life for. It didn’t matter to him that Dean had been turned, what mattered was that they were finally together. They’d figure the rest out as they went along. 

Now, as he looked at the knife in his hand, he knew what he needed to do, he needed to free Dean and help him heal. And, if that meant feeding Dean his blood, he would. He’d give Dean everything. As he walked closer to Dean he was hit with the realization that Dean still felt pain, and he wasn’t willing to subject him to more than he had to. That meant he needed to protect Dean’s back as best he could. Taking a moment, he searched the cabin and found a closet that held extra bedding. He grabbed a sheet and returned to Dean. “Dean, I’m gonna put this sheet around you. I need to protect your back, you’re still cut up pretty bad and bleeding.” He didn’t get a response from Dean which is what he had figured would happen. Dean was pretty out of it after having been starved and tortured for who knew how long. 

Dean heard a voice speaking softly to him. The voice sounded so much like Sam’s baritone voice, but he refused to give into it. He flinched when something soft was placed over his shoulders; whatever it was draping down his back. He felt someone touching him, trying to hold him steady as he was jostled back and forth before he felt his arms flop down from the position they had been forced into. Dean howled in pain as he was lowered down, cradled by someone holding onto him and supporting him. 

Hearing Dean’s pained cry brought tears to Sam’s eyes. He knew it wasn’t because of his touch; it was because of what had been done to him. “It’s okay, Dean, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay. You’ve gotta be okay. You can’t leave me again. We’ll get through this together. We’ll figure it out together. I can’t be without you,” he murmured softly as he shifted Dean into what he hoped was a more comfortable position for him as he held Dean close to his own body. With Dean cradled in his arms, with Dean facing him, he tried to figure out what to do for him; how to help him. He saw how raw Dean’s wrists were from being tied together with the rope and probably from his attempts at freeing himself. The only thing he could do to help Dean was to feed him blood. Without another thought, he reached for the knife he had dropped when he had cut Dean down and brought it to his wrist. With one quick swipe of the blade, he cut his wrist open and placed the open cut to Dean’s lips, urging him to drink what he could so he would begin to heal. 

Dean’s mind registered what was happening, that he was being fed. He raised an arm up, his hand wrapping around the arm that was pressed to his lips, holding it close as he drank his fill. He felt his strength returning and his wounds beginning to heal and he wanted more. Whoever was feeding him wasn’t stopping him from drinking what he wanted and he was content to take what he wanted.

“Dean… Dean, I need you to ease up. Just give me some time and I’ll let you drink from me a little later. I’m starting to get dizzy,” Sam stated as he tried to pull away from Dean’s grip. 

With him being more coherent Dean realized that the voice speaking to him wasn’t Jason’s, but was actually Sam’s voice. He went rigid, opening his eyes to see who was holding him. Looking up, he met hazel eyes searching his face, showing love and concern for him. He pushed Sam’s arm away from him as he sat up. “Sam, what did you do?” Dean cried out as he licked his lips, tasting blood, human blood on them. He scrambled away from Sam, horrified by the fact that he had ingested human blood again. He looked at Sam and saw that Sam’s wrist was bleeding and the discarded bloody knife next to him on the floor. Seeing the blood, smelling it with his heightened senses, had Dean scrambling further away from Sam. 

“Dean… you were hurt. You needed blood to heal. I gave you some of mine to help you heal,” Sam explained, not understanding why Dean had an issue with that. He had given Dean his blood willingly, freely. Dean hadn’t forced him to do that.

“Sam… you gotta… you gotta get out of here. I don’t… I may not be able to stop myself.” Dean gave Sam a pained look. “I’ve only had human blood one time,” Dean said, leaving off the ‘until now’ as his eyes flicked from Sam’s wrist to the knife. He could feel the pull within him, the thirst and hunger were growing and he was doing his best not to give in to the desire to lick the knife or latch on to Sam’s wrist. The desire to taste Sam’s blood was burning in him. He licked his too dry lips, faintly tasting Sam on them, and gave a soft moan. “Sam, you gotta go,” he warned as he looked around the cabin, his green eyes searching for Jason.

“Dean, I’m not leaving you. You still need more blood and you need to heal.”

“It’s not safe for you here. If he comes back, he’ll kill you.”

“Who? The vampire who turned you?”

“Yes! He threatened to kill you.” Dean slowly got to his feet and made his way into the bedroom in search of something to put on. He wasn’t about to have any further conversation with Sam wearing just his underwear. Not bothering to clean himself up, he pulled on a t-shirt, jeans, socks, and his boots before rejoining Sam. “You gotta go.” He tossed Sam a towel as he stood before him. “Use that to…” He forced himself to focus on Sam and not Sam’s blood.

“Why? We can take this vampire out together.” Sam stood there pressing the towel to his cut as he tried to make sense of things. He could tell just by the way Dean was acting that Dean was frightened of the vampire who had turned him. “Dean, I know you’re scared. You don’t have to be, we can figure it out together.”

“No, you don’t understand, Sam. He threatened to kill you. He said he’d make me do it just to teach me a lesson,” Dean explained as he reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair out of Sam’s eyes. “I left… left you to keep you safe. I wanted you to have a chance at a real life.”

Sam dropped the towel and reached out to cup Dean’s face. Before he could say what was on his mind, the cabin’s door was slammed open. 

Jason held Sam against him; Sam’s back to his chest as Sam struggled to free himself from his vise-like grip. “Struggle all you want, you won’t be fortunate enough to get out of this alive.” He gave a dark chuckle and tightened his grip on Sam’s throat, restricting his airway. He could hear Sam’s heartbeat ratcheting up as he struggled to free himself from the vampire’s grip.


	14. The End

“Well, isn’t this a pretty picture?” Jason snarled as he looked at Sam and Dean together. “Didn’t I warn you what would happen if you had contact with Sam? Didn’t I tell you that his life would be forfeited?” He stalked toward the two men, pushing Dean away from Sam and sending him crashing to the floor a few feet away. 

Dean tried to right himself, getting to his knees to see that Jason had Sam in a tight grip with his right hand around Sam’s throat and his left arm wrapped around Sam’s chest. “No, wait, please don’t… Don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll be what you want. I’ll be your mate. I’ll… I’ll give myself to you. Just don’t hurt him,” Dean begged in desperation. 

Jason’s lips twitched up into a cruel smile. “Sorry, Dean, you had your chance.” Jason looked over Sam’s shoulder to make eye contact with Dean. “I know I said I would make you kill him, but I think it’s best if I do it.” He felt Sam struggling in his grip, Sam’s hands fought against his as he brought his mouth to Sam’s neck, teeth elongating as he bit down and ripped at Sam’s flesh. 

“No!” Dean screamed as he watched Jason rip Sam’s neck open before letting go of him as Sam crumpled to the floor. 

“I’ll leave you two to say goodbye. I’ll be back to take you home.” Jason started to walk away but turned back to Dean. “Don’t bother trying to run. I’ll only find you again, and it will be ten times worse for you when I do,” he warned before disappearing from the cabin.

Dean ran to Sam, grabbing him and pulling Sam to him. “Please, Sam…”

Sam tried to raise his hand to touch Dean, but couldn’t get his body to cooperate. He knew he was dying. Jason had dealt him a death blow. The only comfort he took was the knowledge that he was at least in Dean’s arms. Dean’s face would be the last one he saw before his body gave out.

“No! No, Sam, you’re not leaving me. Please forgive me,” he said frantically as he raised his left arm and bit his wrist before pressing it to Sam’s lips. He was desperate, he knew that. He also knew he was condemning Sam to a life that consisted of drinking blood in order to survive, but he couldn’t lose Sam. Maybe Sam would hate him, but at least Sam would still be with him, he hoped. He sat there, holding Sam, not moving until Sam finally stirred in his arms. It felt like hours before Sam moved but in reality it had only been a few minutes since he had fed Sam his blood in an attempt to save him.

“Dean?” Sam croaked out.

“Yeah, Sam?” Dean answered, waiting for Sam to curse him for what he’d done. 

“Everything’s... different.”

“I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me. I just… I just couldn’t lose you,” Dean begged as he helped Sam to sit up. 

“Hate you?” Sam’s brows furrowed as he looked at Dean. “Why would I hate you?”

“Because I turned you.” Dean looked away in shame. He had been weak, only thinking of himself at that moment. He hadn’t wanted to lose Sam, didn’t want to go on without him. In the short time they had been apart, that he had been in a self-exile, he had missed Sam on a level he had never thought possible. But now, as he thought about what he had done, how he had turned Sam without his consent, he had done to Sam what had been done to him. He was hit with the realization that he was no better than Jason. If he kept Sam from feeding, he could fix this. The cure might work for Sam if they hurried. 

Sam could see the wheels of Dean’s mind spinning and knew Dean was doubting everything that he had done. If he didn’t put a stop to that soon, Dean would spin out of control. As Dean tried to pull away from him, he grabbed Dean and pulled him so there was no space between them. Sensing that Dean would fight him, he turned them and pushed Dean against the wall, caged him in with his body so Dean was unable to get away from him. “Look at me.” He gave Dean a minute to do as he had asked. When Dean still had met his eyes, he repeated himself with more force, forcing Dean to look up at him. “We’re together…” he started to say, only for Dean to cut him off.

“The cure… We can use the cure. We have my blood… Take it. You’re healed and you can have a life…” Whatever else he was about to say was cut off when Sam crushed their lips together.

“Shut up,” Sam murmured against Dean’s kips when their kiss ended. “You talk too much,” he commented as he nipped at Dean’s bottom lip. 

“Sam… I’m serious…” Dean tried to reason with Sam as he tried to push Sam away. 

“I’m not taking the cure, so just shut up,” Sam responded heatedly as he met Dean’s eyes. He grabbed Dean’s wrists, forcing them against the wall. “I’m your mate. You know it. I know it. I feel the pull. I haven’t been turned long and I can feel it. There’s no me without you. Can you honestly say that you’d rather I take the cure? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you’d rather go on without your mate?”

Dean bit his bottom lip and dropped his eyes to stare at Sam’s shoulder. “No,” he mumbled with a shake of his head. “No, I can’t,” he admitted as he finally raised his head to meet Sam’s intense stare. “But I can’t condemn you to this life. I did what I did because I was desperate. I couldn’t watch you die.”

Letting go of Dean’s wrists, Sam raised his hands and cupped Dean’s face, pulling him close as he crashed his lips against Dean’s in a heated kiss. When the kiss ended Sam couldn’t help but give a throaty chuckle. “You saved my life and gave me a chance at being with you for however long we can survive like this.” Sam pulled himself away from Dean. “Now, I’m hungry. How about we feed and then deal with Jason?”

Dean couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. As far as Jason knew, Sam had died. Jason had no idea what he had done out of desperation to save the man he loved. Jason would never see them coming for him and his little coven. If they did this right, they’d be able to take Jason and the others out and then they could figure out the rest as they went. “Jason has three companions. I haven’t seen them, but they’re probably with him. We just need to figure out where and then take them out.” 

“Sounds like the start of a good plan,” Sam agreed as he followed Dean outside. “Where are we going?”

“My workroom… the shed. I use it to tan the hides of the animals I take down. I sell the meat and hides for the money I use to keep this place up and put gas in my truck’s tank. I store the blood out there,” Dean explained as he led Sam to the shed.

“So, you’ve never…” Sam started to ask and then rubbed at the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to ask Dean more about his life now.

Dean shook his head. “No, never wanted to. Jason forced me to, but I’ve never killed a human. Bambi though, and his mother, well… I haven’t tasted human blood since then, not until you…” He went quiet as he began to contemplate things. 

“Hey, Dean, it’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. None of this is on you,” Sam murmured softly, sensing Dean’s mood. 

Dean stopped in front of the shed’s door, punching the code to the keyless lock. When he heard the lock click, he turned to Sam. “You’re strangely okay with this.”

Sam gave a shrug of his shoulders. “Not gonna lie, I’m not thrilled about the whole we’re vampires now, but I’m okay with being with you, however, we can be. That’s what matters to me.”

Dean nodded his head in understanding as he pushed open the door to the shed and flipped on the overhead light. The shed had been hooked up to electricity which Bobby had taken care of for him when he’d found out what he’d been doing to earn some cash and to sate his hunger. He took a few steps into the room and then crossed to the other side to pull open the small refrigerator where he kept the blood. He grabbed two jars and offered one to Sam. “It may take some time to get used to the taste,” he said as he uncapped the jar and began to drain it dry.

Sam studied the glass jar in his hands, swirled the red liquid around in it before he uncapped the jar, and raised it to his lips. The taste of the tangy, coppery blood exploded over his tongue and he gave a little moan as he drained the jar dry. As he lowered the jar from his lips, he licked them clean before handing the jar to Dean. “That was… it was good,” he admitted in astonishment. He wanted more blood, but he wanted Dean more. He gave Dean a moment to put the jars down before he was crowding into Dean’s personal space, crushing their lips together in a heated kiss. “I want you,” he murmured as he kissed along Dean’s jaw. “It’s been too long.”

Dean groaned in response and felt himself hardening as Sam continued to kiss him. “We need to stop.” He pulled away from Sam and heard Sam’s protest. “After we take care of things, I promise.”

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right,” Sam agreed as he shook himself, forcing his desire for Dean down until they did what they needed to do; take out Dean’s sire and his nest. Once that had been accomplished, once Jason was dead and Dean was safe, then they could be together again. He was about to say more when a man’s angry scream cut through the silence of the shed. He opened his mouth to say something, but saw Dean raising his hand to silence him.

Dean raised his hand, placed his forefinger to his lips to indicate to Sam to be quiet. Silently he crossed to the door, flicked off the light, and opened the door of the shed a crack so he was able to peer out. He saw that his truck was back in the driveway parked next to the Impala. He felt Sam’s larger body against his as they both watched Jason stalking from the cabin back to his truck.

Jason stood next to Dean’s truck angrily eyeing the black muscle car. When he had returned he had thought he would find Dean still kneeling by Sam’s body, but he had been wrong. All he had found was an empty cabin and the wooden floor stained by Sam’s blood. There was no sign of Dean or Sam’s body. That meant Dean had taken Sam’s body, but he couldn’t have gone far, not without getting into a car, which he was standing next to. “Dean!” he yelled out. “I know you couldn’t have gone far, not with Sam’s body and not without a vehicle. I told you not to hide from me. I’ll find you!” He wrenched open the door to Dean’s truck and slid behind the wheel, slamming the door. He glanced over at the cabin before driving off, forming a plan to return with his companions to search for his mate.

Dean grabbed Sam by the wrist, pulling him out of the cabin. Holding his hand out, he turned to Sam. “Sam, give me the keys to Baby.”

Sam dug into his pocket, pulled out the keys, and tossed them to Dean. “What do you have in mind?”

“We follow him back to his nest and take them out. Is the car still packed with our weapons?” 

Sam snickered at Dean. “As if I’d touch anything? It’s like you don’t even know me anymore.” He rolled his eyes as Dean huffed at him. 

“Get in the car, Sammy,” Dean said as he slid behind the wheel, running his hand lovingly over it. 

“Would you like a moment with the car?” Sam shot out hotly. 

“Hey, don’t be jealous. It’s nothing personal and Baby can never replace you,” Dean assured Sam before starting the engine and following the direction that Jason had driven off in. 

Sam just shook his head at Dean. He knew Dean wasn’t one for sappy sentiments so for Dean to even make a comment like that meant the world to him. “Love you, too,” he said softly as he settled back into his seat, waiting for them to reach their destination. 

Watching as his truck turned up a dirt road, Dean stopped the Impala, turned off the engine, and shouldered open the door. “Let’s do this,” he said as he closed the door and popped the trunk open. He searched through their weapons until he put his hands on what he’d been searching for; their machetes. He handed one to Sam before grabbing their guns and slamming the trunk shut. 

“I take it you know where this road leads to?”

“Yeah, there isn’t much around the cabin. Nothing that’s lived in, anyway. There are a few hunting cabins out this way, but no one would be out here, not this time of year, anyway,” Dean explained as they made their way up to the cabin. 

“And you know all of this why?” Sam questioned.

“I’m a vampire, Sam. I needed to know how close any human was living near me. I couldn’t… I didn’t want to lose control and hurt anyone,” Dean admitted in a sad voice. 

“Right,” Sam acknowledged with a nod of his head. Now that he had turned, felt the need for blood, he understood what Dean was talking about. 

Dean stopped at the cabin door, his head cocked to the side as he listened to the voices speaking inside. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Sam was also listening, his hearing had changed as his senses had become heightened. 

“He was gone?” Madison's voice was heard as she spoke to Jason.

“What do you want us to do?” Rhett’s voice could be heard questioning from somewhere inside. 

“You’re all going to help me find Dean and drag him back to me.” Jason’s voice was steely cold as he spoke. 

Hearing that had Dean moving, kicking in the door, and watching as the four inside turned to see what was happening. “No need, I’m already here.” He felt Sam’s presence as Sam joined him, Sam’s larger body pressing against his. “Let’s end this,” he said as he advanced, machete raised, making his way toward Jason. 

Jason stared in disbelief as Dean raised the machete, pointing it at him. His eyes caught movement and he looked past Dean to see Sam standing behind him. “You turned him?!” he bellowed. 

Dean smirked at Jason. “Of course, Sam’s the man I love. I’ve always loved him, and I always will.” Without another word, he raised the machete and began slashing at anyone who wasn’t Sam. He heard screams of pain and pleas, the four begging for their lives, as he and Sam worked as together, taking out the nest and ending any threat to them. 

“You can’t do this!” Jason yelled at Dean. “I’m your sire, your mate.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You forced me into this life. But I was never your mate. Sam’s my mate. He was before I turned and now that we’ve both turned, we’ll be together,” confirmed before he swung the machete, cleaving Jason’s head from his shoulders. “Sam?” He turned to see Sam wiping blood off the machete he had been wielding. “You okay?”

“I’m good. You?” Sam asked as he looked over at Jason’s body. He smirked at the severed head at Dean’s feet. “None of them will be coming after you now. You’re safe.” He felt a sense of relief wash over him knowing that Dean was now at least safe from Jason coming after him. 

_ Safe _ . This was the safest he had felt since before his life had gone to shit. Dean couldn’t hide the look of relief on his face as he glanced at Sam before looking away from him. He nodded at him, too afraid that his voice would betray the emotions running through him; relief that Sam was safe and that Jason and his companions were dead. Happiness that they could be together again and then disgust for what he had done. Fear hit him hard as he worried that Sam would regret his new life, that Sam would come to hate him and then leave him. Sam’s voice forced him out of his thoughts.

“So, what do we do with them? We can’t burn the cabin, it could burn out of control before anyone got here to put it out.” Sam rubbed the back of his hand across his chin. “Guess we could dig a pit, toss them in and then burn them.” He looked at Dean, hoping for Dean’s input.

Dean nodded his head absentmindedly; he was still thinking of how he had turned Sam, how he had taken the decision out of Sam’s hands. He wasn’t sure if he could live with that. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed as he stared at Jason’s body, still not able to meet Sam’s eyes. He started for the door only to stop when Sam grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn around. “What…” he started to say but was cut off when Sam crushed their lips together. 

“You’re worrying about things,” Sam said when he broke the kiss. “Don’t try to deny it. I know you too well.” He forced Dean to look at him and he could see the fear reflected in Dean’s eyes that he was doing his best to hide from him. “You’ve always put me first, even when you turned me, you did it out of love…”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong,” Dean disagreed with a firm shake of his head. “It was selfish of me. I did it because I didn’t want to lose you.”

“Why? Why don’t you want to lose me?” Sam prodded, not willing to give up until Dean realized the truth. 

“Because… because I love you and I missed you. I don’t want to go on without you.” Dean could see a spark of smugness in Sam’s multicolored eyes. “But you’re only going to hate me in time.” 

“I won’t.” 

“How can you say that? How could you possibly know that?”

“Because I was prepared to ask you to turn me. I thought about it the entire time I was driving here. I couldn’t think of anything else. It nearly killed me when you disappeared. I thought I had done something to…” He had to take a moment to get his emotions under control before continuing on, remembering the pain he had felt when Dean had disappeared without a word. “I thought I had done something to make you stop loving me. Then when Bobby told me the truth, I thought screw it, I was gonna have you turn me so we could be together. So, see, nothing to worry about. No regrets.” He gave Dean a dimpled smile and a quick peck on his cheek. “Now, let’s deal with them so we can figure out what we’re gonna do next.” Sam pulled Dean outside with him and back to the Impala to grab what they needed to take care of the four bodies. 

With the pit dug and the bodies burning, Sam set about cleaning up any evidence of what had taken place inside the cabin while Dean kept watch over the fire, not moving from it until the bodies were nothing more than smoldering ash and he had refilled the pit, smoothing the dirt over as best he could. “Ready?” he asked when Sam joined him, standing so close to him that it felt as if they were one with each other. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Sam pulled Dean away, leading him back to the car, and urged him to drive them to the cabin. The ride was a silent one, neither needing to speak. Everything had already been said between them, but Sam hoped that Dean had taken his words to heart. He would never, could never blame Dean for what he had done. Hell, he would have done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. 


	15. New Beginnings

As they entered the cabin, Dean’s eyes rested on the stained wooden floor of the cabin where Sam’s body had been as he lay dying. Instantly he clenched his hands into fists as an overwhelming sense of loss flared within him. He took a few steps toward the area, but stopped, wanting to tear his eyes away, but unable to do so.

Sensing Dean’s unease, Sam grabbed him, pulling him away from the stained floor, and pressing him up against the door, using his body as a shield. “I would have done the same thing,” he said firmly and watched as Dean’s head snapped up, wide green eyes meeting his. “If it had been you lying on the floor bleeding out. I would have done the same damn thing and I wouldn’t have given it another thought. If I had been turned and you were dying, I would have done the same thing. I would have done anything to keep you with me.” He had said what needed to be said and he saw a change in Dean as he spoke those words. Dean needed to hear that. He needed to stop blaming himself for what he had done, selfishly or not. There was no going back, and there was no way he would ever regret being able to be with Dean until the end of time. 

Dean nodded his head in understanding, feeling a weight being lifted from his heart at hearing Sam’s words. He had no idea how Sam knew what to say, or that he had needed to hear those words, but he had and it took away the self-loathing and doubt that had begun to consume him. Without another word, he reached up with both hands, laced his fingers in Sam’s chestnut-colored tresses, and pulled him down into a searing kiss; one that would have left them breathless and panting if their lungs still needed oxygen. “I love you,” he whispered against Sam’s lips. “You’re my everything.”

“And you’re mine,” Sam assured Dean when they broke apart. “So, what do we do now? Do we stay here or move on?”

“I was thinking about having us stay here.” Dean gave a shrug of his shoulders. “I mean, maybe? If you want to?”

Sam couldn’t help the dimpled smile that spread across his face. He could feel Dean’s longing to put down some semblance of roots; how he had come to think of the cabin as his home. And despite what had happened here earlier, Dean still wanted to stay. “Well, if we do that, we need to bring this place into the present. I need a few modern necessities; electricity, internet access…”

“Bobby can probably help with that. He wanted to hook this place up when I got here, but I said no. I didn’t see the point if it was just me and I wasn’t sure if I was gonna stick around.” Dean toed at the floor, his eyes looking at anything but the stained wood of the floor. “Would you… would you be happy here?”

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy anywhere. But, the question is, what’ll we do? It’s not like either of us is the type to just sit back and relax. I mean, we can probably take the occasional salt and burn case if it's not too far from here, but then what?”

“I was kind of thinking you could put that big brain of yours to work. Maybe write?” Dean saw the look of shock on Sam’s face as Sam’s eyebrows disappeared into his hair. “Just hear me out. You can take all of our cases and turn them into stories. Spooky shit sells.”

Slowly Sam nodded his head as he let Dean’s words sink in. He had to admit that he liked the sound of that. His lips twitched up into a relaxed smile. “Yeah, I could do that, but what about you? There’s no way you’ll be able to sit idly by while I write.” Sam worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he tried to come up with some to occupy Dean’s time with. 

“I can expand what I already do; tanning the animal hides and smoking the meat. A couple of hunters at the store asked me if I’d consider it. If I did that, I could drain the blood and freeze it for us. It could be a source of income and food for us. I don’t need a lot of blood, just enough to quench the thirst. I’ve only been feeding once a week or so.” Dean moved away from Sam, stopping by the stain on the floor, and crouched down, running his fingers over the area. “I think I can bleach this out; maybe rearrange the furniture to cover it up, or maybe a rug. A rug will cover it up, right?” He stood and turned back to Sam. “Unless my idea of us staying here is stupid. It’s stupid, we can come up with something else.”

Sam held his hand up, stopping Dean from speaking further. “Before that.” He pointed to the stain. “Before that, were you happy living here?”

Dean frowned and shrugged his shoulders as he thought over Sam’s question. If he had to be honest with himself and Sam, then the answer was yes, he was, or at least he was starting to become happier living there. “I guess. I mean I missed you, but it wasn’t so bad living here...”

“Then we’ll live here and figure things out; take it one day at a time,” Sam said, hoping Dean would take him up on the offer. 

Dean felt hope bloom in his chest. It wasn’t a feeling he had felt in a while, but now he had Sam with him, and despite how things had happened, they were mated to each other. “Hey, do you have a phone with you? That asshole broke mine.” He saw the quizzical look on Sam’s face. “Gotta call Bobby. See if he can help us out with getting this place hooked up with what you need and what I need to build onto the shed so I can take on more work. Then I’ve got to get another phone.” He put his hands on his hips and groaned in frustration. “Shit, with everything going on, I forgot about my truck. We’re gonna have to go back for it. I’ll need it if I’m gonna take on more work. The Impala’s not gonna be practical to transport dead animals if I have to pick them up.”

“We can go back for the truck,” Sam said as he pulled out his phone and looked at it, not relishing the call they were about to make to Bobby. He hadn’t thought about having to tell Bobby about what had happened until now. “You… Ah… You want me…”

Dean chuckled as he grabbed the phone from Sam’s hand and dialed Bobby’s number. He heard the phone ring once before Bobby’s gruff voice sounded in his ear. 

“Sam, that you? Is Dean with you? Is he alright? Are you alright? How’d he take seeing you? Did you two have words or get into a fight?” Bobby demanded in rapid succession, not giving Dean a chance to get a word out. 

“Sam’s with me and I’m fine.” Dean chuckled when he heard Bobby’s sharp intake of a startled breath. He switched the call to speakerphone so both he and Sam could hear the older hunter. “No, we didn’t have words or get into a fight, but something happened…”

“What? What happened? Are you both okay?” Bobby sank down into one of his kitchen chairs as he listened to what Dean had to say. “This is my fault,” he said when Dean finished speaking. “If I hadn’t sent him to you, none of this would have happened.”

“Bobby, none of this is your fault. We were always meant to be together,” Sam spoke up, trying to alleviate the older man’s guilt. “We would have found a way to be together. I would have begged Dean to turn me if this hadn’t happened the way it did.” 

“Idjits,” Bobby breathed out and then sighed heavily. He knew Sam was right; those two were meant to be together, there was no way around that. Hell, some might even go so far as to say they were soulmates if such a thing existed. And seeing how Sam was, how lost and broken he was without Dean, he knew in his gut that Sam's words rang true, that he would have begged Dean to turn him. And Dean had been lost without Sam, so maybe this was for the best, the two of them together. “I’ll do my best to keep you both safe. What are you gonna do now?” 

“I was kind of hoping you’d help us with that,” Dean spoke up, explaining his plans for them and staying on at the cabin for as long as they could. He knew eventually they’d have to move on. They wouldn’t age and at some point, someone would take notice of that and begin to ask questions. But for now, they’d make a life together in the sleepy little town until it was time to move on.

“Yeah, I can get some things together for you,” Bobby assured them. “I’ll steer hunters away from you the best I can. So, this is it, I guess. I’m gonna miss seeing you boys.”

Sam could hear the regret in Bobby’s voice. “It’s not goodbye forever, Bobby. Besides, you can always take a little trip up here.”

“Yeah, it’s really peaceful up here,” Dean piped up, hoping to sway Bobby into visiting them, if only one time. He knew that he and Sam would miss Bobby something fierce; the older man was family to them. 

“Yeah, I might just do that,” Bobby added before they ended the call.

Mrs. Palmer looked up from the counter, setting aside the book she had been reading to pass the time, as the bell over the door jingled, signaling that someone had entered Palmer’s Country Store. She smiled when she saw who was approaching the counter. “Well, if it isn’t two of the most handsome boys I’ve ever laid eyes on,” she said in greeting, watching as Sam gave her a dimpled smile. “What brings you two in today?”

“Just here to drop off some deer meat and to stock up on a few things,” Sam explained as he eyed the older woman and the book she had pushed aside. 

Palmer’s eyes flicked from Sam to Dean as he moved from one area of the store, handing over the deer meat to her husband before coming to stand with Sam. She watched as Sam reached out, as if not even realizing he was doing it and took Dean’s hand into his. She couldn’t help the smile that broke out over her face. She knew the look of real love when she saw it. She saw it reflected in her own husband’s eyes when she looked at him and she saw it now as she looked at the two men standing before her. She also understood what Dean had meant nearly a year ago when he had told her things were complicated for him when she had tried to set him up with her granddaughter. She had thought he had been just getting out of a relationship when he had uttered the words that it was best if he didn’t get too involved with anyone. Now, she understood that his heart belonged to someone else. 

Seeing what Mrs. Palmer’s left hand was resting on, Dean gave a small smirk before asking, “So, how are you liking the book?” He watched as Mrs. Palmer’s cheeks began to pink up. 

“It’s… it’s fascinating and scary. I can’t read it at night,” Palmer admitted with a nervous giggle. “Mr. Palmer loved it.” She jutted her chin in the direction of where her husband had been only to see that he had disappeared, most likely to refrigerate the deer meat Dean had dropped off. Their store did quite the amount of business with Dean; buying and selling the animal hides he tanned, the meat he smoked, and now he was branching off into a line of jerky that was doing rather well. “However did you come up with the story idea?” She turned to Sam as she spoke, giving a shudder as she glanced down at the book. “I mean, even the name is scary: Wicked Nightmare.”

Sam couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his throat. If she and the rest of the people who had helped to make his first book sell out only knew the real story behind what he had written, he was pretty sure no one would ever sleep in the dark again, or allow their children out of their sight. “Well…”

“I mean, how on earth did you come up with the idea of this thing… this Shr… Shriga?”

“Shtriga,” Sam corrected with a laugh. “It’s a demon.” He saw the look of confusion on Mrs. Palmer’s face and tried to think of another way to explain what the creature was. “It’s kind of like a witch.” 

“Well, whatever it is, it’s really scary. I still have no idea where you could possibly come up with the idea of this thing slipping into a child’s bedroom at night to feed off of their… What did you call it?” She glanced down at the book for a reference.

“Life-force,” Sam supplied for her. 

“Still…”

“He’s very creative,” Dean added as he gave Sam a fond smile. 

“Oh, you two.” She waved her hands at the two men. “You remind me of myself and Mike when we were first married. So sweet,” she sighed as she looked at Sam and then Dean to see the look of absolute love on both of their faces. She watched as Sam turned his head and gave Dean a quick and chaste kiss on his cheek. She didn’t miss the shy smile on Dean’s face as he dipped his chin to lower his head. “So in love,” she murmured and then gave a soft chuckle. “So, since you’re a famous writer, would you mind signing my book? I want to be able to say I knew you when your writing career takes off like I know it will.” 

Dean pulled his hand from Sam’s larger one and placed it on the small of Sam’s back, urging him forward to comply with the woman’s request. 

“Do you have another book planned?”

Leaning forward, Sam grabbed the pen from the counter, turned the book to face him, and scrawled his name across the inside cover page. Closing it, he pushed it back to her. “Yes, it’s about a family: a dad and his two boys; their father’s possessed by a demon.”

“Oh, how intriguing, what else? Can you give me a sneak peek?” The older woman’s eyes sparkled as smiled at Sam.

Sam shook his head. “Well, you’ll just have to wait for the book to be published. It should be out soon, in the next few months. I’ll drop a signed copy off to you,” he promised. “You got everything you need?” 

“Sure do.” Dean held up the six-pack of beer he had grabbed. Although the alcohol didn’t affect them now as it had when they were human, he still liked to have a beer every once in a while. 

“See, Sammy, I told you, your stories were gonna sell,” Dean quipped as they left the store, having paid for their beer.

“Yeah, well, you’re turning into quite the businessman,” Sam shot back, pride lacing his voice as he knocked shoulders with Dean. 

“Yeah, well… Guess we’re both good at something,” Dean grumbled good-naturedly as he placed the beer on the seat next to him. He heard Sam scoff at him and watched as Sam moved the beer, placing it at his feet so he could slide closer to him. 

In the year since Sam had been turned and they had started their lives together as vampires and mates, things had changed for them. Neither of them felt the need to hunt the supernatural; they saw the irony in that since they were now what they used to put down. Sam had a successful writing career and he had a successful small business of his own. Bobby had been out to visit them, overseeing the upgrades to the cabin and the addition to the shed. They had made that request of their friend, not wanting to worry about dealing with too many humans. They managed to keep their need for blood to that of feeding on animal blood. Sam had never tasted human blood and Dean hadn’t tasted a drop since the time Sam had fed him his blood, having done so only to save him after being tortured by his sire. 

“Let’s go home,” Sam uttered as he placed his hand on Dean’s thigh, feeling the need to anchor himself to his mate. 

“You got it,'' Dean responded as he started the car and looked over at Sam; his mate and the man he loved, meeting Sam’s multicolored eyes and smiled. Whatever the future had in store for them, he knew they’d deal with it together. They had eternity together and that was fine with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Survival - by NeedToBreathe  
> I got the devil on my throat  
> I got blood on my hands  
> The ones that I love are in danger  
> I’m a fallen man  
> Written by: Cason Cooley, Jeremy Lutito, Josh Lovelace & William “Bear” Rinehart


End file.
